A Lady's Destiny old version
by Lilith Ha
Summary: Won't continue this story. It will be rewritten and posted under the name 'A Lady's Destiny'
1. Invasion

 **Disclamer:**     I do not own any of the persons mentioned in this fic, except of my own. I WILL NOT REPEAT THIS STUPIDITY AGAIN!

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Chapter 01:                              **Invasion**

"I can't believe it." Lady Alanna looked at the letters she was actually reading, with an expression of complete disbelief on her face. "This must be a joke, or something like that." She looked at King Jonathan, who seemed as confused as she did.

"No joke. The letters are authentic." Jon sighed. "I can't explain it myself."

"It's an invasion!"

"You're exaggerating."

"Jon! After years of telling Kel and I that we are the most unnatural human beings on earth, three of the most conservative noble families are sending their daughters to the palace. Not to marry. To become knights! How would you term this different than an invasion?" Alanna shook her head. "I can't understand the world anymore."

Now Jon started to grin. "I thought you would be proud. It seems that Lady Knights are now accepted by conservatives. This year five young ladies are travelling to Corus, because they want to follow your footsteps."

Alanna looked doubtfully at her king. "Do you really think they are coming here to follow my footsteps? Maybe that's what the girls want, but what about their parents? Why did they give the permission to them? Why don't they sent them to convent without discussion. That would be normal for them."

"I don't know. They didn't explain themselves to me."

"Another thing. What about the probation.?" Alanna stared at Jon ready to argue.

"I will have to talk to Lord Padraig. But I think he would get huge problems with the girls' families if he insists on the probation."

"I hope it ... for both of you."

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Sorry for grammar and vocabulary mistakes. I'm not a native speaker. My Englishteacher says my essays are sometimes horrible. I hope you'll be able to understand what I've written.


	2. Lord Padraig in trouble

Chapter 02:                              **Lord Padraig in trouble**

Lord Padraig haMinch started to hate his job. Today was the day the new pages arrived. Today the girls would arrive. He had already met four of them. Three might be a problem.

First, there were the sisters Aidan and Ariadne of Crystal Lake. They had arrived with their brother Aaron. The three were triplets. Very active triplets; not able to sit still one single minute. Wearing the same clothes and having the same haircut, nobody would be able to distinguish them.

Then there was Berenice of Gohman. She didn't look happy becoming a knight. Not at all. That made life much harder for him. The girl's mother was a bit ... difficult. As he had tried to explain to the girl the difficulties of becoming a knight, Lady Damaris nearly killed him. How could he dare to frighten her daughter! His problem was that he was related to Lady Damaris. They were quite close relatives. It could happen that his aunt, the family dragon, would join in the debate. That could become  bad for him! _'Bloody relatives!'_

At least the last girl seemed quite normal ... for a young lady who wants to be knightened. Corvina of Kourell was calm, obedient and willing to learn. But she still was a girl.

Lord Padraig buried his head in his hands. _'Oh gods. What have I done to deserve this?'_

Suddenly somebody was knocking on the door. Lord haMinch looked up. "Come in!"

A servant entered. "Lord Victor of Pinehollow. Lady Samira of Pinehollow."

A man in his mid- fifties entered the room. He was an impressing person. Tall, grey hair, almost yellow eyes and an edged face made him look like a hawk. A hungry hawk.

Lord Padraig couldn't prevent gulping. After the man a girl entered the room. She wore breeches and her blond hair was cut short.

_'She will be a beauty, someday if she would stop behaving like a boy.'_ Lord Padraig cleared his throat. "Please, sit down." He looked at Samira, who looked straight back into his eyes. Her eyes were moss green with a few golden spots. "Well, Samira. You came her to become a knight. I hope you don't think it will be easy. Four years as a page, four years as a squire and then Chamber of Ordeal are between you and your knighthood. The classes and the training will grow harder with time. You will need physical and mental strength. Do you really think you will be able to do this?" _'As if she would say no.'_

"Yes, sir," was the calm reply.

_'I knew it.' _Lord Padraig was feeling very uncomfortable with the piercing glare of Lord Victor. _'Please gods, let me survive this.' "I have to tell you that you will be treated like all the other pages of your age. There are no privileges because of your sex. If you can't keep up with the boys, this is the wrong place for you." _

Now Lord Victor looked really angry.

_'I live dangerous. He looks like he want to eat me. Gods, please help me!'_

Samira herself looked as calm as ever. She didn't seem to be easy to influence.

_'I hope she'll make it. Lord Victor will hold me responsible if she fails.' _"If everything is clear, you can go." After they had left Lord Padraig sighed with relief_. 'Thanks to Mithros. That's it. That was the last page. This year will be very hard. How could I've been so stupid to take the job as the pages' trainingmaster. I must've been completely insane. Now I need a drink!'_


	3. Fears

Chapter 03:                              **Fears**

"I can't believe that I'm here." Berenice of Gohman looked at her new bedroom in the pages' wing. It was furnished more plain than she was used to. A bed, some chairs, a table, and a cupboard. That was everything. Her suitcases were on the bed, only half the things she would have liked to take with her. She felt lonely and frustrated.

_'Why did I agree to come to the palace? Why didn't I just go to convent where noble girls like me belong? I'm a complete idiot, that's it,'_ she thought_. 'Only because Cori and Sam wanted to be knights. They talked me around. That's it. Without Sam, mother would have never agreed.' Grumbling she started to clear away her clothes__. 'Boys' clothes. I will make a fool of myself. They will beat me up. The girl who thought she could keep up with boys. They believe that I don't belong here. I saw how they glared at me when I arrived. And they are right.' Bery sat down. __'What shall I do?'_

Suddenly somebody was knocking on the door.

"Who is there?"

"It's me."

Bery groaned. "Come in." _'If it's necessary,' she added in her mind._

A smiling young girl entered the room. She had short blond hair and gold brown eyes. Corvina of Kourell.

_'Why is she always that happy? It drives me crazy! I would kill for her looks. And she risks her pretty face in fights.' _Bery herself had brown hair and dark brown eyes. In her own opinion, she looked much too ordinary for a noble. "What do you want?"

"Are you in a bad mood?"  Cori was still smiling.

_'How sagacious she is.'_ "I would describe it differently."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to see your room. Did you know that it's next to mine?"

"Oh really? How pleasing!"

"I don't like it when you talk like that."

"And how do I talk, my lady?"

"Ironic. Aggressive."

"Oh! Yes. Now that you're mentioning it. But why on earth should I be ironic? I mean, being here .. following your stupid dream ..."

"Wait a minute. _My_ dream? You wanted to become a knight, too"

"It was you that brought up that stupid idea to me. No. It's Sam. She is the reason we are here."

Now Cori was really angry. "Sam has nothing to do with your presence. It was your own decision. If you didn't want to be here, why didn't you say something?"

"And look like a coward! I knew both of you would have liked it ..."

"Hey! Don't attack ME. If you are not courageous enough to say what you want to do, it's not MY fault."

"I knew I would find both of you here. I just had to follow the noise."

Both girls turned to look at the girl leaning in the door.

"Sam!"

Samira of Pinehollow sighed. "OK. What or who is the problem? And does it really interest me?"

Suddenly Bery's rage cooled down. Arguing with Cori was something completely different than with Sam. Sam was direct and honest, even if she hurt other people. Normally she didn't care about people. But sometimes ... Even Bery, who had a quite sharp tongue was afraid of a discussion with her. "It's ... it's only ... because of you," she stammered. "Only because of you we are here."

Sam looked bored. As if nothing could displease her. "Cori. Please, leave us alone."

Cori looked surprised at her cousin. "What ...?"

"Please."

Cori still hesitated. "Don't be too ... severe." She left the room, closing the door behind her.

Sam looked at Bery. "Now. The truth. At once. What frightens you?"

Bery looked surprised. "I am not frightened."

Sam went on staring at her. Moss green eyes can be very irritating. When Sam looked like that, nobody was able to lie.

"I want to be home."

"Why?"

"I'll fail. I know it. I'm just a girl. I'm not strong enough. They'll hurt me. They'll make my life misery. I can't do that." Bery almost cried.

"That's true. You will fail."

"What?"

"If you don't trust yourself, you will fail. Especially if you want to fail."

"How can you think that I want to fail?" Bery was shocked.

"Being a typical court lady is easier then being a lady knight. You are not really afraid of the effort it will take. You are afraid of the responsibility you will have. You will be responsible for the life of your people and, what frightens you even more, responsible for your own life."

Bery looked confused.

After a while Sam continued. "Remember. After the burial of your father, after the last male member of your family was gone, you told me that you wanted to protect your mother. Nobody should harm your family anymore. Your father and your brothers are gone. Nobody can do this, apart from you. Do you want to wait until you are married to a nobleman who might be brave and clever enough to protect and to manage your fief with success? Or do you want to be the master of your destiny?" Sam sighed again. "Bery. This is the first and the last time I'll say this to you. You are strong enough to do this. You are stubborn, you are brave (most of the time) and you are clever. Choose your destiny. It's in your hand."

"Choose my destiny? Like you?"

"No. I don't have a choice."

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I know it's not my best chapter. Go on reading,  the next chapters will be better.


	4. It could be worse?

Chapter 04:                              **It could be worse?**

When Sam left Bery's room she stumbled over two small girls. Both had black hair and blue eyes. And both wore exactly the same clothes. _'Must be twins,'_ Sam thought. "Might it be possible that you two were eavesdropping?" Sam looked suspicious at the two girls who seemed much too innocent.

"We? Eavesdropping? Never!" Both chorused.

"You did."

Now the girls were grinning.

_'Life here will be difficult. A crying woman behind me, two rollicking goblins in front of me. The day becomes better every minute.'_ Sam sighed. Not the first and surely not the last time. "Ok. Who is Who? No tricks."

The girls looked at each other. Still grinning. The left girl started to speak: "I'm Aidan. That's Ariadne. Of Crystal Lake, if you want to know. And who are you, blonde?"

"Samira. Of Pinehollow, if you are interested. Well, I guess both of you came here to become pages."

"How clever she is. Yes, lady Samira of Pinehollow, we are here to become pages. What about you?" Ariadne asked excessively polite.

_'Not a good start. Not at all.'_ "It's Sam. Do you have any nicknames?"

"Danny."

"Ria."

"Ok. I think we have to go now. Oh! There's Cori." Sam was surprised to see her cousin running furiously in their direction. "What's the matter?"

"Somebody put some glibber in my bed. Ugly green _glibber." Staring at the giggling twins she said, "Is it possible that you two put that glibber in my bed?"_

"We? Glibber? Never!"

Sam groaned.

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It was time for supper. The pages gathered around Lord Padraig. The first- years were quite nervous, especially the girls. It was time to get a sponsor.

_'Well. Here we are.' _Sam was watching the other pages_.' Quite a few first- years. It will be interesting who will sponsor the girls. It will be difficult to find an acceptable sponsor for each of us. Five girls. Cori, Bery, me, the twins ... wait a minute.' Sam looked surprised at Aidan and Ariadne. _'Do I have a problem with my eyes? One, two ... Three?'_ Sam pushed Cori softly to get her attention. "Do you see what I see."_

"Depends on what you are seeing." Cori looked the direction Sam was pointing. "Oh gods. Triplets."

The three siblings grinned wickedly in Sam's direction.

"Now it's time for the first- year pages to get a sponsor." Lord Padraig looked around. Then he pointed to a red haired boy in the first line. "Tell your name and the holding of your family."

"Rabanus of Blue Mountain." The boy was taken immediately by a page called Kyle of Nenan.

Then Lord Padraig pointed to one of the triplets. "Aaron of Crystal Lake."

"Now I understand why they were separated at the girls' wing. One of them is a boy," Cori whispered.

After Aaron got his sponsor, it was Aidan's turn. Everybody was suddenly silent when Aidan said her name.

_'I knew it would be difficult.' S_am looked around. _'Come on. We only need five of you.' _Then she saw the boys discussing. Some of them seemed to feel uncomfortable.

Finally one of them said. "I will sponsor her."

Lord Padraig was looking at him. "Colin of Agate Coast sponsors Aidan of Crystal Lake. Well, who will sponsor Ariadne of Crystal Lake?"

"I will sponsor her."

The training master seemed surprised at the fast answer. "Quentin of Agate Coast sponsors Ariadne of Crystal Lake."

Next it was Berenice. Her sponsor was called Milan of Ivy Towers.

After her it was Corvina who had to find an sponsor.

"I will sponsor her."

"Lachran of Mindelan sponsors Corvina of Kourell."

Cori seemed quite pleased with her sponsor.

At last it was Sam's turn, last of the girls. When she said her name, she saw that some boys where pushing another. Finally this boy said that he wanted to sponsor her. _'They have already decided whose of them will have to sponsor the girls,'_ Sam recognised.

Then she heard Lord Padraig say: "Nathan of Malven sponsors Samira of Pinehollow"


	5. Sponsors

Sorry it took so long for the next chapter. It's my first fanfic and it's not in my mother tongue. So it's hard for me to write it down. I can't describe it like I would do it in my own language.

I'm looking up most of the words, necessary or not, to be sure that I'm not writing complete nonsense. This takes time. Often I write until 2 o'clock in the morning.

My dog is very confused at my new habits. He looks like he's saying: "Are you insane? I want to sleep now and you are disturbing me." (It's a dachshund. Stubborn like a cat.)

I hope the story is worth the effort. (I will finish it, even if it kills me.)

Enjoy it and tell me what you think about it. If you have some suggestions how to go on, tell me. Maybe it matches with my concept.

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Chapter 05:                              **Sponsors**

All pages went off, following Lord Padraig to the dining hall.

Cori gave a worried look at her cousin, until her sponsor put a hand on Sam's shoulder and told her to follow him. After some hesitation, she turned around and went after him. _'She can take care of herself. She can do it even better than me.'_

"Don't worry." Lachran gave her a serious look. "He is not as bad as everyone thinks."

Cori was surprised at her sponsor. "How do you know?"

"He was my sponsor last year."

"Are you friends?"

"No. Not really. He doesn't have friends. He separates himself too much. He's always so cold." Lachran shook his head. "He's in his third year now. And he had a hard time, being a Malven."

"But how can he afford the training? And how will he be able to afford everything a knight needs? I thought the family of Malven has to pay much for the treason of Ralon of Malven?"

"I don't know. He never told me." Lachran sighed. "Well. Let's talk about other things. Welcome to the palace." He gave a friendly smile at Cori.

Cori smiled back. "Thank you. Call me Cori. You're related to Keladry of Mindelan, aren't you?"

Lachran laughed. "I knew this would be the first thing you would ask. Yes, she's my aunt."

"Is that the reason you chose me?" Cori wasn't sure if she would like it.

"In some way. Some of the other boys have some ... prejudices. You would have been in great trouble if they had chosen you. And you looked friendly. That's why I took you, not one of the others."

"Who are the boys with the prejudices. Has one of them chosen one of the other girls?"

Now Cori was worried again.

Lachran shook his head. "No. None of your friends are in danger. Milan and Quentin are my friends. They are second- year pages, like me. And Colin is Quentin's older brother. It's his last year as a page. He's nice, too. Things have changed, slowly, but they have. After all those wars. Now people get used to women fighting. It was necessary when the men were abroad in war." He looked at Cori and laughed again. "Now I'm stopping. Let's get some food."

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Sam and Nathan stood still at the place the other pages left them, staring at each other. Suddenly, Nathan turned around shouting: "Follow me." He stormed down the corridor, following the others. To his surprise the girl followed him without saying something. He had expected that she would complain about his rude tone. But she didn't even looked angry. _'Well, let's see what plan she has to get rid of me.'_

But she didn't say anything to him. Not when they arrived at the dining hall. Not when they got their food. Even after the prayer she ate quietly, without disturbing his thoughts.

He observed her with distrust. Suddenly he spoke. "Don't you talk?"

Sam looked up. "You don't want to talk."

Nathan looked surprised. "How shall I call you?"

"Sam."

"You will call me Nat." As if she would talk to him that often.

Sam nodded and continued eating. They had much more space than the others. Nat had taken a place as far away from the other pages as possible. Some boys were staring obviously at them.

Nat looked furiously at his plate_. 'No! I won't do it. I won't do that to her. I'm no marionette they can play with.' _He looked at Sam_. 'They told me to get rid of the Mindelan boy. And I didn't. And I will do nothing against her. I wonder how they will punish me this time.'_

Suddenly Sam returned his gaze. _'She has strange eyes. I've never seen somebody with such intense moss green eyes before.'_ Nat became nervous under her gaze.

Sam looked at him, then she looked around and met the gaze of three boys staring at them. _'They have cold eyes. They are enemies. Maybe I will have to take care of them.'_

She looked back at Nat. "What did those guys want to achieve by making you choose me?"

Nat's eyes widened. He was really surprised. "How ... ?"

"I saw them pushing you before you chose me. You looked trapped. And you look beat up."

Now he was really surprised. He had thought he had no visible bruises. "Nobody has beaten me up. How did you get that idea?"

"The way you move. You are hurt."

There was no pity in her eyes. He hated being pitied. The only feelings he caused were hate and pity. But he didn't see them in Sam's eyes. Yet.

"I fell down."

Sam continued eating.

_'She doesn't even try to make me confess that I didn't fall. Lachran has asked me all day about such things. She knows that I lied and she accepts it. Good.' _He sighed and finished his meal_. 'Let's wait until the others have talked to her. Then things will change, soon.'_

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After the meal, the sponsors showed the new pages the most important places of the palace. Cori, Bery and their sponsors went together. Milan was really nice. He was friendly towards the girls, making them laugh with his funny jokes and stories.

Cori really liked the boy. _'We will have fun together. Even Bery is in a better mood now. I knew Sam would be successful. She knows people. I wonder what she said to her.' _Cori sighed._'She won't tell me. She never does.'_

Suddenly a boy ran towards them. He stopped in front of Lachran and asked. "Did you see my first- year?"

Lachran looked surprised. "You have chosen one of the triplets, Colin, haven't you?"

"Yes. I chose Aidan. Danny. But she vanished."

"How can a ten year old girl vanish?"

"I don't know. I turned around and she was gone. I called her but I didn't get an answer. I even asked our three 'friends' if they have seen her, but they denied."

"Who are these friends?" Bery asked.

"Some of the third- years. Damian of Windshole, Kajus of Grealok and Ruben of Espial. Be careful when you meet them. They don't like you."

"They don't even know us." Cori was shocked, but not really surprised.

"That doesn't matter to them. Believe me. Be careful." Suddenly Colin looked behind them. "Here you are."

He went quickly to a black haired triplet and griped its arm. "Do you have the slightest idea how easy you could have gone astray? Why do you think you need sponsors?"

Suddenly he heard a sound behind him. "Hey, brother. What are you doing with my first- year?" Colins younger brother Quentin joined the group. "I've searched for her for at least an hour. Ria that isn't funny at all."

"But that is Danny, not Ria."

Quentin looked confused. "You have lost your triplet, too? But how do you know who of them it is?"

Now Colin became unsure. "Ok. Who are you, little one."

"I'm Aaron."

"Aaron! Where is your sponsor?"

Suddenly the group heard a torrent of curses. Robert of Rose Hill, sponsor of Aaron of Crystal Lake, ran towards them. His head was red of fury. "Is this my first-year?"

Colin nodded surprised.

"Don't let him slip away! I will have to talk to that little ..." A number of insults followed.

"Do you know how long I searched for you? Can you imagine what Lord Padraig would have done to me if I had lost you?" Suddenly he stopped. He looked at the two brothers. "Wait a minute. Didn't you sponsor the sisters of this little weasel?"

The boys nodded. "Then, where are they."

"We lost them."

Robert started to grin. "Very well. I'm not the only idiot. That makes it better, a little bit."

Quentin looked sour. "I'm glad to help you with catching your triplet. But what about us. We have still to find the girls."

"Ok, Ok. You caught mine, I'll help you find yours. Let's search for them." He looked at Aaron. "And you will stay with us." Then the four turned around and went away.

Cori, Bery and their sponsors looked incredulous at the group.

"I think we've chosen the better ones." Milan said quietly.

Now Lachran was grinning. "Yes, I agree with you."

The girls traded amused looks.

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Sam was waiting for Nat. He had told her that he had something to fetch from his room and that he would return in a minute. That had been half an hour ago. _'Will he return before dawn? I hope so for him.'_Sam looked around. Ten minutes ago she had seen the sponsors of the triplets together with Aaron running after Danny. Or Ria. But Sam thought it was Danny. She shook her head. _'He said I have to wait and he seemed serious about it. If he doesn't want me to see his room I have to accept that.' She heard a noise at the end of the corridor. She looked in this direction. Somebody moaned. "Nat!" Sam was running to him._

He looked really bad.

"Who has beaten you up?"

"I fell down."

"On both sides of your body?"

Sam caught Nat before he fell to the floor. "Do you need a healer?" Her voice was soft. If Bery would have been there she would have been surprised at how kind Sam could be.

"No healer. I have my own ... connections. Nobody has to know it."

Sam looked seriously at him. "If you want, I won't tell anybody."

"Thank you." Nat got back on his feet. "I'll go now."

"May I help you."

"I can do this alone. I'm used to it." Nat turned around and went away.

Sam looked at him until he vanished. _'He came here because he knew I was waiting. And he was beaten up by the boys who pressed him to be my sponsor.' She turned around and went to her room. _'He doesn't want to talk about it. I have to respect his wishes.'__

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Someone was knocking on Sam's door. 

"Come in, Cori."

Cori entered the room. "How do you always know it's me?"

"Nobody knocks as friendly as you."

Cori looked confused. "Really. Even if I'm angry."

"Even then."

Cori shook her head incredulous. "Well, I only wanted to ask if you're well."

"Nat didn't bite me."

Cori blushed. "I didn't want to be unfair. I only wondered ... I'm sorry."

Sam smiled friendly at her. Of all the people she knew, Cori was one of the few she really loved. The kind of love she would give to a sister, if she had one. "Nat is Ok."

"Lachran is nice, too. I think we were lucky. The boys told me that we might get problems with some of the third- year pages."

Sam looked at her. "If they hurt you they will have problems."

Cori smiled and embraced her cousin. "Don't get into trouble because of me. You are only ten. They are thirteen. I know what you are able to do, but your life is hard enough without making enemies because of me."

"I think we are already enemies."

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Ok. That's it for today. It's 03.09 o'clock in the morning. I'm tired and my dog has decided to sleep in my father's room tonight. Maybe I will add another chapter tomorrow.


	6. Nightmare

Chapter 06:                              **Nightmare**

**Darkness. All around her.**

**Screams.**

**Then silence.**

**Pain, blood ... one face.**

Sam woke up sweating. _'No! Not again. I hate this nightmare.' _Cursing she got up.

_'What time is it?'_ She looked out of the window. _'Dawn.'_

_'I don't want to fall asleep again.' _She looked at the mirror. Her face was pale, her eyes red. But she didn't cry. She wasn't able to cry anymore. She had no more tears left.

_'Well. If I can't sleep I might do something useful.'_ She looked at her room. Her clothes were already in the wardrobe. The bookcase was nearly full and some plants decorated the window. _'That's the problem of unpacking everything immediately. Nothing left to do.'_

She looked at her bed. At the end of it there was a big chest, made of oak- wood with carvings on it. She touched it lovingly.

She knew it wasn't normal for pages to take such things with them. Normally they took the furniture which was already there. But this chest was something special. It was hers. It was the only thing left from her family. _'I will never forget.'_

She opened it slowly. The chest had no key- hole. It was closed by magic and only Sam was able to open it. She looked sadly at the things in it.

After a while she took something out of it. A sword. The hilt and the sheath were decorated with moss green stones and strange engravings. The engravings seemed to be words, words of a forgotten language. Words of the same kind were also engraved at the blade. The metal shimmered green. This sword was very unusual.

_'Someday I will be worth wielding this sword.'_ She took a box also kept in the chest.

'He won't get them. I will protect these things with my life. They are too powerful to fall into his hands.'

She put the sword and the box back in the chest and closed it with a slam. _'I will kill him.'_

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I know, I know, it's short. I've already started with the next chapter, but actually I am to bored of it, to go on. When I get a better idea I will continue writing.


	7. Secrets

Chapter 07:                         **Secrets**

The morning bell rang.

Cori was already awake. She had been too exited to sleep anymore. She had dressed herself and was now ready to leave her room.

_'Bery will kill me if I come to her now. She is not a morning person. Not at all.'_ She went out of her room and knocked the door opposite to her own. No reply. Cori knocked again. "Come on Sam! I know you are awake. I'm coming now." She opened the door.

Sam was sitting on her bed, legs crossed hands in a strange position.

Cori grinned. "Ok. Let me guess ... you've been up for three hours. You have already trained a bit and now you are meditating to calm yourself down. Am I right?"

Sam opened her eyes slowly. "Two hours." She still had the dreamy look in her eyes she always had when she was meditating. She already wore the pages' uniform.

"These colours suit you well."

"Thanks. You too."

Cori sat beside her. "How do you think our first day will be."

"Long."

"Hey, come on. At least a whole sentence."

"The day will be long."

"Very funny."

"What do you want me to say. In the morning we will have training, in the afternoon we will  study. After that we will have some homework. And after that we will fall in bed as if we were dead."

Cori screwed up her mouth. "That wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear."

"Your problem. Don't ask questions if you don't want to hear the answers."

Cori jumped up." Ok. Enough small talk for the moment. Let's go for breakfast."

She opened the door again. Behind the door Bery was waiting. She hid a huge yawn behind her hand and murmured: "Good morning."

"Good morning Bery!" Cori said effusively and embraced her. Then she stormed away to greet the two sisters who went out of their rooms at that moment.

"She knows I hate that. That's why she does it." Bery looked at Sam. "Does she embrace you every morning?"

"No."

"I knew it."

Cursing, Bery went off to the mess hall.

Sam followed her, eyes smiling.

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At the mess hall Cori, Bery, the triplets and their sponsors sat down at one table.

Colin, Quentin and Robert still looked quite angry. They were observing the triplets all the time, as if they thought the three could vanish at any second.

Sam looked around and found Nat sitting at the end of an empty table. He looked up surprised when she sat down in front of him. "What's the matter?"

"I want to eat my breakfast."

"And why not at your friends' table?"

"You are my sponsor."

Nat shook his head. "I thought they've already talked to you."

"About what?"

"About me."

"What's so interesting about you."

"I'm a Malven."

"I know."

"My Uncle was a traitor."

"I know."

"Nobody wants to be with me."

"I know."

"So what do you want here?"

"I want to eat."

Nat looked confused. _'Is she playing with me? She looks serious ... maybe the others haven't talked to her yet.'_

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"So you have already been trained. By whom?" Lachran looked surprised at Cori. The four pages were on their way to the training courts.

"Well, we have some soldiers at our fief, to protect it, and one of them showed me the basics. And I was trained by my father, too." Cori smiled.

"And what about you Bery? Were you also trained by your father?" Milan asked her friendly.

"My father is dead."

Both boys looked shocked.

"We didn't know that. I'm sorry for your loss." Milan said pitiful.

Bery shook her head. "It was four years ago. Half a year later, I started to train. My mother hired a good fighter, who taught me things like hunting, riding and some other basic skills."

"Then both of you started at the age of six?"

The girls nodded.

Lachran traded a secret look with Milan. Then he continued asking. "And Sam, did she start at the same age, too?"

Bery shook her head. "No, she started much earlier."

"Well, that really surprises me."

Cori looked at him suspiciously.

"Don't misunderstand me. My aunt also started fighting at the age of six. But I thought your families were very conservative. I'm only surprised that you three were allowed to come here. And now I hear from you that your families even prepared you for being knights. That's a bit strange. The parents of Ariadne and Aidan are known as supporters of the idea of Lady Knights. So it's no surprise they went here. But you ..."

Lachran shook is head. "Well, I don't understand that."

Cori traded a look with Bery. Then she started to explain.

"Both of us have lost our brothers. We are the only heirs of our families' fiefs. Sam's uncle never had a heir. It's only logical that they want us to be prepared as much as possible."

"But there would be other ways, why..."

"They thought it would be a good idea, Ok? I don't ask you why you are here, so stop examining me." Cori looked quite angry now.

Lachran was surprised. He didn't think that his questions could annoy her. "Sorry. I was only interested."

Bery sighed. "Come on, Cori, they are nice. They don't want to harm anybody." She looked at the two boys. "Well, the reason why our parents decided to send us here instead of the convent is that Sam's uncle talked to them."

"Bery!" Cori said in a warning tone.

Bery ignored her friend. "You are right, the families of Pinehollow, Kourell and Gohman would have never agreed with our wish to become Lady Knights only five years ago. In that time something happened that changed their point of view completely. A member of the Pineh..."

Bery stopped talking when Cori hit her. "Shut up!"

The two boys looked really surprised at Cori, whose voice sounded cold with anger.

"I only wanted ..."

"You don't have the right to tell them anything! It is not your story! I will not allow you to tell anybody more than necessary!" Every sign of a smile had left Cori's face.

Bery looked as shocked as the boys now. "But it concerns me, too. I don't know what's so bad about telling it."

"You don't know half of the real occurrences!"

"My mother told me ..."

"Your mother knows nothing! Don't talk about things you don't have enough information about! If you knew everything you wouldn't tell anybody anything about it!"

"But Sam ..."

"If she wants to talk about it, she will do it herself. If I hear that you have started with that thing again, you will wish that you were never born. WAS THAT UNDERSTANDABLE FOR YOU?"

Bery nodded trembling, eyes huge with shock.

Cori turned to the boys. "And you two. Who wanted you to interrogate us?"

"N- nobody."

"Some things are private. This is one of those things. If I notice that you bother Sam with your questions, you will experience how angry I can get." After that she turned around and rushed away.

The boys stood there, mouth open, staring at the disappearing girl.

"What was that?" Lachran looked at Bery.

The girl shook her head, face still pale, and followed Cori to the training courts.


	8. Sorrows

Chapter 08:                              **Sorrows**

Keladry of Mindelan was in the stables, caring for her horse Peachblossom. Suddenly she heard a quiet noise behind her. She turned around, ready to fight. "Oh, it's you Lachran."

She relaxed and smiled at the boy. That was the reason why her birds didn't alarm her. They knew her nephew and liked him. "How are you?"

"Well, thank you."

Kel eyed her nephew with care. He seemed a little depressed. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no. Everything is ... fine."

_'He doesn't want to talk about it.' Kel smiled again. "How is it to be a second- year page? Is the training Ok?"_

"It's Ok. It's harder, and we don't have any free time, but it's Ok."

"I remember. And how are the girls." Kel was really interested how successful the new female pages were.

"Well. They are ... good. I mean, for example the triplets. All the time they play tricks on the other pages. They already had some fights because of it. But during the training they are very attentive, and they learn fast."

Kel smiled again. "That's good. And the other girls? Have they told you why they were allowed to come to palace?"

Lachran looked odd. "I'm the sponsor of Cori, Corvina of Kourell."

"Good. Do you like her? Are you friends?"

"She nice. Always friendly. A good fighter, but ..."

"What?"

"A week ago I asked her why she was allowed to come here. She told me because her parents had no other heir and that they want her to be prepared as much as possible."

Kel frowned. "But it happens often that there are only daughters in a family. Normally the family searches for an acceptable husband for the oldest daughter. Above all the conservatives."

"Cori became really angry. She told me that it's her business. Bery, Berenice of Gohman, another girl, wanted to say something. But Cori became so angry, that Bery is too afraid to say anything. I didn't want to interrogate them. I only wanted to be their friend."

Lachran seemed sad. "I told her later that I'm sorry, and that I didn't want to make her angry. I had to promise not to ask such questions again." He looked at Kel. "But I'm worried. Before being cut off by Cori, Bery said some things I can't get out of my mind."

"What things?"

"She told me that Sam's, Samira of Pinehollow, uncle talked to Cori's and her parents, and after that they were allowed to become knights."

"But Lord Victor of Pinehollow was one of the first who criticised me when I became a page." Kel was surprised. "Why has he changed his opinion?"

"That's what I'm worrying about. Bery said that something had happened five years ago, and after that these three families have changed their opinion about Lady Knights. Aunt Kel, they've even trained their daughters since they were six years old for being knights. And the thing that happened concerned a member of, I think, the Pinehollow family. And it concerns Sam. When Bery started to tell me about that, Cori became so furious, you can't imagine. She said that it's Sam's business, and that Bery wouldn't say anything if she knew more about it." Lachran looked at his aunt. "There is something wrong. Completely wrong. Cori acted as if she wanted to protect her cousin. As if she was afraid something might happen if we knew too much."

Kel shook her head helplessly. "And how is that Sam? What kind of girl is she?"

"Her sponsor is Nathan of Malven. They are together most of the time. I don't know how, but she can keep company with him. I wasn't able to stay his friend. But she's like he is. Calm, suspicious, not very social. The only person she really likes is Cori. But even to her she's silent. And she learns fast. Not only the theoretical stuff. At the first practise hour with the Shang Horse, you remember, learning how to fall, she was able to do it right after the second try. And she never had training with a Shang."

Kel was impressed. "That rare."

"I wanted to ask Cori about it, but she gave that do-not-ask-look, and I didn't want her to be angry again."

Kel couldn't prevent a grin. _'She has him under her control after a week. Not bad.'_

Lachran continued explaining. "Sam isn't interested in the opinion of anyone. She didn't try to hide how good she is. So, she doesn't have many page friends. And she's better trained than any of the other first- years. Even better than some of the older pages. I worry about her. I think there must be something wrong with her family. She never talks about her past. Maybe she's in trouble. I came here because I wanted to ask you for advice."

Kel sighed. "Let her live like she wants to. It might be her normal character, and if not ... . I will ask the Lioness when I see her tomorrow. If there is something wrong, we will try to help her." She put a hand on her nephews shoulder. "Don't worry to much. If there was any danger for the girl, we would have already heard about it. I'm sure."

Lachran smiled at his aunt. He felt better now that he knew somebody would help Sam if it was necessary.

Kel smiled back at him. She felt proud that she was the person Lachran came to when he had problems. "What do you think, is it possible for me to visit the girls?"

Lachran grinned. "I think they would be happy to meet you. Especially Danny and Ria. They saw you once at a tournament and they are always saying that they want to be like you. Or like the Lioness."


	9. Magic Lessons

Chapter 09:                              **Magic Lessons**

Sam stared at the candle in front of her. Her task was to kindle it with her Gift. Master Numair had told the class that this would be one of the basic skills for a mage. And those who's Gift allowed them to make fire, were tested by him with this task. Most of them were already educated enough to do such an easy spell. But there were always some families who didn't care for the magical talents of their children.

Sam seemed to be one of those children. Most members of her family had the Gift. In every generation of the Pinehollow family, there was at least one war- mage. And in this generation, Sam was the person who seemed to develop this power. Master Numair was surprised how fragmentary the girl had been educated. Her uncle seemed to have concentrated her education on fighting skills and theoretical stuff. _'It's dangerous that somebody with such a great power has hardly any control over it.'_

Sam herself didn't feel comfortable at all. Magic was the only lesson she didn't like. The rest she was able to manage. She was never able to finish all her homework, but nobody could do that. But magic was something completely different for her. She understood the spells, how they worked and how they were created. But when she had to use them, she felt an aversion she didn't understand herself. All the other pages where able to do it as if it would be nothing. What was wrong with her?

She noticed that Master Numair stood next to her.

"Why don't you try it?" He asked in a friendly voice.

Sam frowned. "I don't think it's a good idea." She felt that the other pages were staring at her secretly.

Master Numair smiled at her. "Nothing can happen. It's an easy spell. Not dangerous at all. It's not bad if it doesn't work at the first try. If you want to use your magic properly, you will have to practise."

Sam looked at him and sighed. Then she started to recite the spell slowly and quietly. With every syllable she added she felt a pressure that grew more and more. _'That was a fault. That can't be normal.' She tried to concentrate on the spell._

She finished the last word. The spell was complete.

Suddenly the pressure broke free. Sam heard an explosion and felt herself slammed against the wall.

For a couple of minutes she saw nothing but darkness and stars. When she was able to see properly again, she looked around.

Most of the pages had been flinged at the floor. Master Numair still stood next to her table, his face and clothes black from dust and soot. Sam stared at her table. It was burning. A huge fire ate her table.

"Very interesting. Indeed, very interesting."Master Numair murmured, scratching his head. He looked at Sam. "Could you repeat that?"

All pages stared at him groaning.

Sam lifted her eyebrows. Her whole body hurt. "If you want me to. Which part of the furniture do you want me to burn now?"

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Numair Salmalin was confused. He didn't understand why a simple spell caused such a reaction. He had tried to find it out for the rest of the lesson. It had been quite difficult to hold up a shield to protect the rest of the room from Sam's explosive magic. _'If she learns to control her Gift, she would be a great war- mage.' _he thought. _'But what is the problem? I can't perceive her Gift exactly. She has different talents. Not only war- magic. I see some plant- magic, too. And maybe she has the second sight.' He started to smile dreamy. _'It will be interesting to watch her develop her skills.'__

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It was long after midnight. Nat was still awake. He wasn't able to sleep. The bruises on his body were aching. He had been beaten up, again. Nat was really depressed. _'In two years I will be a squire. Until that I will have to endure this.'_

He got up. _'It doesn't help me to lie in bed when I'm not able to fall asleep. I will go outdoors.'_

The night was fresh and quiet. Nat sneaked to a small park near the Pages' wing.

Suddenly he heard a silent noise. He hid behind a tree. In the moonlight he saw a small shape. The person seemed familiar.

Nat's eyes widened. _'Sam! What is she doing here?' _He decided to follow her.

At the end of the park there was a group of small trees. Nat hid behind a hedge and watched Sam. Somebody was waiting for her. A woman.

'Who is that. She's a commoner, that's clear, maybe a servant. But her clothes are a bit strange. Not the actual fashion. Who is she? And what has she to do with Sam?'

Sam and the woman talked. It seemed that the woman told Sam something very important. Then both turned round and went into the little wood.

Nat was not sure what he should think about it. He decided to follow them. He tried to make no noise, which wasn't easy because it was dark and there were a lot of twigs on the ground. Suddenly he was pushed from behind, and he fell down. A hand gripped his hair and lifted his head. A knife was pressed to his throat. He lay on the ground, not able to move without being killed.

"What do you want here?" Sam's voice was cold as ice.

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Ok. I know. I'm a really bad girl. Please don't kill me. I only want to create an exiting story. 

Ok. I confess. I enjoy it.

For those who wanted to know it, my mother tongue is German.

Don't be afraid because of the following chapters. I will hurry with the rest of the story. In September school starts again (my last school year), and I won't have much time. So I will try to write as much as possible during my holidays.

I have the story complete in my mind. I only have to write it down.

Here are some spoilers:

1  There will be much more fighting. (I hope I'm able to describe the fighting scenes).

2  There will be romance in it. (I must warn you. I like complicated relationships.)

3  There will be a new country I've created myself. (Because I don't know which of the original countries I could take. Don't blame me for that.)

4  There will be a big bad enemy.

Curious? Then go on reading.


	10. Enemies

Chapter 10:**                              Enemies**

Dawn. It had been a long night. Sam was sitting on her bed. She felt horrible. Now she had done it. Again, after all these years. It wasn't easy for her to get over it. She knew she would be depressed the whole day_. 'I will have to manage this. Everything will be okay after some time.'_ She looked at her chest. _'Why can't I cry, like all the others? Crying would make it easier. But all that's left with me is hate. And hate destroys the person who hates. It will destroy me. Why can't I let it go? What has this hate made of me?'_ She shook her head. _'Oh gods! Why did he have to follow me!'_

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Cori was walking slowly towards the mess hall. She had been up early and she had decided to make an early visit at the stable. She loved the horse she had taken at her first day as a page. It's name was Moondancer. A beautiful silver mare. Strong enough for a war horse and a very friendly character. Cori was happy here in the palace. She liked the people and she liked learning. Nothing would change this. Never. Even Sam seemed content. She liked that Malven boy. All the others couldn't see a difference between her behaviour to Nat and to other pages. But Cori knew how to read the expressions on Sam's face. She passed the library and stopped. There were voices. _'At this time? Nobody can tell me that there are pages who study in the early morning.'_

The door was open a bit. She noticed that three of the older pages where inside.

"Your plan wasn't successful. They are still here. Both of them." Kajus of Grealok looked furiously at their friend Ruben of Espial. "You told us that if we bring Malven and Pinehollow together, they will repeat the fight of the traitor and the Lioness. But now it even seems that they _like_ each other."

Ruben looked frustrated. "I know that. You've told me over and over again. I CAN'T CHANGE IT!"

"We should have known. It didn't work when we put him together with the nephew of that wench, this damned Lachran. We told him we will beat him up until he got rid of the boy. He didn't even try to. Now the whole thing continues. That damned Nat will never change his behaviour." Damian of Windhole was not as angry as his friends. He tried to find a solution for their problems, instead of arguing with them. "We will have to change our tactics. Now we will take care of the girls ourselves. And if we are clever, we get rid of the others, too."

Now he had the attention of both of his friends. "But how do you want to manage that?"

Damian grinned. "I will think about that. But I have already an idea. But now, let's go for breakfast."

Outside Cori was pale. Quickly she turned around an ran towards Lachran's room. _'What have these insane idiots in mind for us? I must tell Lachran what Nat has done for him. Now I know what Sam is sees in this boy.'_

Breathless she arrived at Lachran's rooms and knocked.

Lachran opened the door and looked surprised at the gasping Cori. "Do you have a problem?"

"No ... yes ... I have to tell you something."

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Sam was sitting at the table. She was looking at her breakfast as if she couldn't believe that it was something to eat.

"Where is Nat?"

She turned round. To her surprise she saw Lachran and Cori. Both of them looked really serious. "What's the matter?"

"Cori has found out something important. I have to talk to him."

"Well, he is not here. You can sit down and wait until he comes."

Cori was watching her worriedly. _'What's wrong with her. She is looking so unhappy. What has happened?'_

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Sorry that it's so short. Today I had little time.

And when I wanted to start writing this chapter, my mother came in to tell me we need some mineral water, because the drinking- water is dirty. (The reason is the flood we actually have here in Germany.) I had to go to four supermarkets, because my mother doesn't like water with carbonic acid. (I wonder why the cheap supermarkets have only one kind of mineral water.)

Then I had to rewrite this chapter, because the old version was deadly boring.

And finally I noticed that I've made a mistake with the persons. Now I have to correct it. (I won't rewrite the story. I will have to invent new persons.)


	11. Friendship

Chapter 11:                                            **Friendship**

"What have you found out?" Sam looked at Cori, eyes worried.

"It concerns Nat, Lachran and you." Cori traded a look with Lachran and continued. "If I told you that Nat was beaten up all last year, because he protected Lachran, and that he is beaten up this year because he protects you, would you believe me?"

Sam didn't seem to be surprised. She looked at her cousin and Lachran who sat opposite to her. After a while she nodded slowly. "That explains a lot."

"What does it explain?" Lachran bent to her. "The earning your way custom is still alive. I know that. But there are no bullies any more. My aunt finished with that. The pages are patrolling if there is any trouble. And now you want to tell me that this is wrong? I can't believe that."

"If you really believe that bullies are past, you are very naive. To control them doesn't mean to abolish them. They still exist, they are only hiding. And your patrols ... well, do you really think that anybody cares about the traitor's nephew?" Sam shook her head. "None of you have ever accepted him. Yes, I believe he is beaten up regularly. How do I know it? I saw his bruises. I saw the pain in his eyes. And I saw the behaviour of each of you against him, and against me after I joined him. If you were told that any of the other pages did for you what he did, you wouldn't look as shocked as you do now. After him being your sponsor you act like everybody else, although you should know better." Now Sam was angry. _'I hate this ignorance. Nobody wants to see what's obvious, and if they are pressed to see the truth nobody wants to believe.' She wanted to go away before she lost control over herself. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. "Nat!"_

Nat smiled at her. "Don't be angry. Please, sit down. Everything is fine."

Lachran and Cori stared surprised at Nat. None of them had ever heard him speak so kind to somebody. He looked at Sam as if she was something he had searched  for his whole life. He seemed to be ... happy. Nat sat down next to Sam. Then he looked to the two other pages. "What's the problem?"

Lachran glared at him. "The problem? Well, the problem is that you were beaten up a whole year because of me, and you didn't say a word. Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you. It's not right you being the only one being bullied of all the pages. Not because of me."

Nat shook his head. "It wouldn't have changed anything. I have been beaten up since I arrived at the palace. I'm a Malven. That's the reason. But I have sworn  to myself that I would go through this. And I was successful. Then you arrived and they thought they could use me for their dirty tricks. But nobody uses me. And this year they thought I would have enough beatings behind me to obey their orders. But now I'm used to it. Only this year and the next year, then I will be a squire, and things will change."

Lachran looked shocked. "You don't want to do anything against it? You accept it?"

"Of course not. I strike back. But I don't have a real chance against three pages."

"You have to do something against them. You need help. I will help you against these cowards:"

"We will help you." Cori added.

"No, it's my fight. It's my problem. My honour is everything I have."

Lachran and Cori looked helpless.

"It isn't a question of honour anymore." The three pages stared at Sam. She looked at Nat, eyes very serious.

"Three against one isn't fair at all. They have shown that they have no honour. I can understand that you want to be the one who fights them, but it's not acceptable that you are beaten up regularly." She looked at Nat. "I can't go on watching you being hurt every day. You will have to do something against these people. We will have to do something. I don't like the way they look at Cori and the other girls. We've already talked about it. I want to propose something." She looked at each of them forcefully. "From now on we will help each other. Each of us will teach the others what we know. I have some skills in self-defence which aren't taught neither in Tortall nor at the Yamani Islands. And you Nat, you've already had two years of education as a page. Lachran has some skills from his aunt, and Cori was taught by her father. We will train together, secretly. Nobody needs to know. With time we will become better. Then we will take care of our three friends. Do you agree?"

After a few moments of hesitation the others nodded. "We agree."

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The next morning, Cori got up cursing. Every muscle in her body ached. "Terrific. Of course we had to start practising yesterday. And of course we have to get up much earlier and start practising." After washing and changing her clothes she felt better, a little bit. Then there was a knock on her door. The others were waiting for her.

When the four pages arrived at one of the empty training courts they heard somebody training. A big woman with brown hair was training with a glaive.

"Aunt Kel!" Lachran cried out surprised. "You are here?"

Keladry of Mindelan stopped the pattern dance and turned to her nephew, smiling. "Good morning. I thought I would be the only one getting up this early.

"We want to practise together, and it's the only free time we have," he explained.

Kel nodded. "I also trained in the morning when I was a page."

She looked at her nephew's friends and Lachran started to introduce. "That's Corvina of Kourell, Samira of Pinehollow and Nathan of Malven."

"I'm glad to meet you."

Cori smiled back happily. "It's a honour to meet you."

Sam and Nat only nodded towards Kel.

Cori looked puzzled at them. _'Can't anything in this world impress them. They are acting as if they were twins. The same unfeeling facial expression.'_

Lachran explained his aunt the reason for their training. Kel agreed with their plan and offered her help. "I don't know how often I can join your group, but I can show you some tricks. I would be glad to help you."


	12. The Unfair Fight

Chapter 12:                                            **The Unfair Fight**

Bery was in the stable caring for her horse Brownie. She was the last of the pages because Brownie had decided that mud suits him very well. Bery and her training- masters didn't agree with him, so the gelding had to be cleaned. Bery was not in her best mood. After a while she was tired, exhausted and dirty. But Brownie was clean, finally. Bery closed the box of her horse, ready to leave.

Suddenly she felt somebody standing behind her. She turned around facing three boys. She knew them. They were older pages. Damian of Windshole, Kajus of Grealok and Ruben of Espial. "Can I help you?"

Damian grinned wickedly. "Of course, you can. Go home little girl. That's all we want."

Bery looked at them. "Why should I do that."

Now all three boys grinned. "Because it's your only chance."

_'I have no chance against three of them. Even against one of them would be a hard fight. They are trained much better than I, they are third- year pages.' Bery started to shiver, but she didn't want to show weakness. "I guess I'm not able to help you. I'm really sorry. But I won't leave."_

"That's a pity." Then the boys came toward her. She tried to run away, to defend herself. But it was no fair fight. After a while she fell down and the world turned black.

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Cori was walking up and down in her room. She was angry, more than angry. "HOW COULD THEY DARE! BLOODY COWARDS!" She turned to her friends.

Sam was sitting on the bed. Her eyes glowed dangerously. Nat was leaning against the wall next to her. Lachran was sitting on a chair, his face as furious as Cori's

"What will we do? We will have to fight them. We will show them how it is to be beaten up everyday. Did you see her when they brought her to duke Baird? How could they do that?"

Sam looked at her cousin. "She will be well soon. Duke Baird said that she won't have scars. But you are right. We will have to take care of them."

Lachran looked at her. "Where and when?"

"The question HOW is more important I think." The three stared at Nat. "Do you want us to fight the whole group together, or do we fight one against one?"

Suddenly somebody knocked on the door. The triplets came in, each of them had pale faces. They looked as shocked as most of the pages after seeing Bery. "Can we help you?"

"With what."

As usual Aidan was the leader of the group. "Revenge for Bery. Fighting these cowards."

The friends were looking at each other.

Sam sighed. "I guess our training group is growing." She looked at the triplets. "Listen to me. We will fight these cowards. But we will fight fair. And to win a fair fight we will have to train. We four are already training every free minute we have. You can join us, if you want. And we will face them, as soon as we see a chance."

Everybody nodded grimly.

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It wasn't as easy as the group thought. The three boys knew exactly what the others wanted to do with them. Sam and her friends weren't able to get them without audience. But the three sometimes had the chance to get one of them alone. It wasn't as bad as Bery's beating, but for months every page in the group always had some bruises or black eyes.

After a while more pages joined the group. Milan, Colin, Quentin and Robert were also attacked. And after her recovery, Bery wanted revenge, too. Her old fears were vanished. She wanted to show these cowards that she would be a better knight than each of them.

Kel trained the group as often as possible. Her friend Neal had told her how furious his father had been because of the brutal methods of these boys. Kel hated bullies. She wasn't able to do something against these boys herself, but she would do everything to let them pay.

She was really pleased how enthusiastic the young pages trained. Especially Sam surprised her. Lachran had already told her that Sam was very well trained. But she wasn't only fit, she learned very fast and she knew some tricks Kel didn't know herself. They were like the Shang fighting techniques, but it wasn't the same. Kel wondered where Sam had learned fighting like this, but she never got a satisfactory answer.

One day the training group was watched by somebody hiding in the shadows. When the pages went away Kel walked towards the stranger. "What do you think about them?"

"They are good pupils. You are training them well." Alanna, the Lioness sighed. "I wish I could help them, too. But if I come near the girls everybody will say I helped them with magic."

Kel nodded knowing. "And what do you think about Sam."

"The blond girl with the moss green eyes and the strange fighting skills. She's good. She will be a good knight. But I never met a technique like hers. After all you told me about her, I made some inquiries. Her mother was the youngest sister of Victor of Pinehollow. She married very young to a foreign knight. They were living in his native country. Samira's parents and her younger brother were killed by Stormwings. Now Samira is living at her uncle's fief, and she became his heiress. That's all I know. There doesn't seem to be a danger for the girl. Your nephew can calm down. I think Corvina only wanted to protect her cousin from remembering that horrible experience. And maybe Samira learned her fighting skills at her father's native country." Alanna looked at Kel. "I want to help her so badly. She has the Gift and Numair told me that she can't control it. They are training and she's getting better every day, but there are still accidents when she tries a spell. And I'm doomed to stay in the shadows and watch. I hate it. But at least the girls have you to support them."

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Another chapter done. I hope you like it. Sorry I need more time to update, but I'm very busy at the moment. But I really try.

Little tip: when I read the reviews I always feel inspired to write more. ;)


	13. Insanity or bravery?

Chapter 13:                                            **Insanity or bravery?**

Sam was sitting in the park, legs crossed, eyes closed. Master Numair had told her that this would be necessary to learn how to control her Gift. She could have done it in her room, but she felt much more comfortable with nature around her.

'It's strange. When I'm not pressed to use these spells, my Gift doesn't frighten me anymore. It is as if there would be another way I could go to control the Gift. I can't even explain it to myself. How could I explain it to Master Numair, without telling him everything.'

Sam sighed and remembered. Here it had been where she attacked Nat. That night she had thought he could be sent by her enemies. But when she had looked in his eyes, she suddenly knew that he would never harm her. And she had told him almost everything. And he was her friend now, although he knew that she ... .

Sam shook her head_. 'No! Not now. Don't think about it. You were sad after you told him your story. If you remember too often you only become melancholic.'_ She got up. _'Let's go to the training yards. I wonder what Cori is actually doing.'_

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When Sam arrived at the training yards she came just in time to see Cori in a wrestling match with Lachran. The whole training group was there, watching. Sam smiled_. 'She's good. And every day she becomes better.'_

_In the corner of her eye she saw a black shadow running towards the training yard. She turned her head._

_'Oh gods! What a huge dog!' She was extremely worried. Those dogs were bred for fights. If they weren't trained properly they became very dangerous. And even more dangerous they were when the were trained to kill._

Sam's eyes became huge. _'It's running to Cori and the others!'_ She turned around and ran towards the group. "Cori! Lachran! Nat! The dog! It's dangerous! Run away!" She looked back and knew that nobody was able to run away quicker than the dog. It would kill at least one of them. She turned again, now running towards the dog, which had nearly arrived at the pages.

Sam jumped on his back, winding her arms around his enormous neck and the drive of her jump let both fall down. Now she lay on her back, the dog over her, it's legs in the air. It tried to turn back on its feet to attack Sam.

Sam didn't really want to hurt the dog. She only wanted to hold him until help came. She heard Cori's fearful voice crying for help. The pages didn't know what to do. They had no weapons with them, and the dog was enormous.

Sam was having difficulties breathing under the weight of the dog. Besides she didn't know how long she would have the strength to hold this dog, which was fighting hard to get free. She tried to calm down the animal by talking softly to him. This came automatically to her mind. And to her own surprise the dog stopped rolling on her. She didn't trust it enough to let him free, but she continued talking, waiting for help.

Then she recognised a woman next to her. She had long brown hair and blue- grey eyes. The woman started to talk to the animal. Then she told Sam to let him free. After some hesitation Sam did as she was told. The dog got on his feet, looked around wagging his short tail. Everybody sighed with relief.

Sam gasped hard. She felt very beaten up. _'I will never ever do this again. I must be the most stupid ...'_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the woman. "It was very brave of you to attack a dog of this size. It could have ended badly for you."

"It was my only chance. I could have tried to kill him. I know where to hit him at his vertebral column to kill him instantly. But I didn't know if I would have the strength while running. And I hoped help would come soon enough that we could calm him down without killing him." Sam, who wasexhausted, looked up at the woman. "You are the Wildmage, aren't you."

She woman smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm Daine Sarrasri. You were lucky I was alarmed by some bird flying around. But you had him quite under control when I arrived."

"I wouldn't term it control." She got up slowly, groaning. "Ok. I think that's it for today. I'm going to bed."

She looked at the Wildmage. "Do you care about the dog? I hope it's not necessary to kill him for attacking people. Maybe he can be trained not to do it again."

Daine nodded. "I will try to help him." She turned round calling the dog. "I will see you later. First I have to find a nice lodging for our friend. Bye."

Sam watched her leave, the dog next to her looking guilty. Suddenly she felt someone embracing her. "Cori!"

"I thought you would die! Why do you have to act so stupidly." Cori cried out, tears in her eyes.

"Because I thought you would die if I didn't."

Cori cried silently. Sam put her arms around her to calm her down. "I'm fine. Everything is Ok."

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Sam's fight with the dog was the topic of the day. Some people thought she was insane, other termed her brave. Everyone tried to talk to her to elicit more details about that experience. As soon as she could, Sam hid in her room, ignoring the knocks on her door. _'I don't know what's worse. Fighting a giant dog or living with the consequences of surviving it.'_

Only a few people weren't happy that it didn't end with a dead page. "Again, one of your enormous plans fail. Next time you make a proposal, we will ignore it, Ruben."

"How should I know how insane this girl is, attacking a fighting dog."

Damian cleared his throat. "I must confess that I'm impressed. I don't know if I'd have the courage acting like that."

"It's not courage, it's insanity."

"It is courage. Well, I think it could become a challenge fighting this girl." He started to grin. _'I will enjoy it.'_

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Numair Salmalin was working on a special book when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in."

Daine entered the room, grinning at him. "I'm surprised that you heard me. Is this the new book you got yesterday?" She kissed him loving.

"Yes it is. It concerns people who aren't able to control their Gift. But no case like Sam's is mentioned."

"I met her today. She saved her friends from a fighting dog."

Numair looked worried. "Has anything happened to her?"

"No, she was able to hold the dog and calm him a bit until I arrived. Numair, she has Wild Magic. Why didn't you tell me?"

Numair jumped up. "What? Are you sure. I didn't see it in her. I only saw her Gift, no Wild Magic."

"It's interwoven with her Gift. It's not easy to see because the Gift hides it a bit. But I'm sure. She talked to the dog and he understood her."

"That makes everything clearer. Maybe her Gift and the Wild Magic are reacting differently with the different methods she's using. When she uses a spell her Gift reacts properly but the Wild Magic reacts explosively. It will be interesting to search for a method that ..."

Daine rolled her eyes. "Before you drift away listen, please. The dog was trained and commanded to attack the pages. It's owner fled already."

Numair's eyes widened with shock. "What! Someone wanted to kill the pages?"

"Only the blond ones. He was trained to attack people with blond short hair, who wear boy's clothes and who have the size of first- year pages."

"Oh gods! Who ... ?"

"I don't know. I didn't even find the trainer of the dog."

"We will have to tell the king."

"That's true."

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What do you think? I little bit too exaggerated? Much too exaggerated? Complete waste of time? Well I hope you liked it.


	14. Dangerous Visions Part I

Chapter 14 :                                           **Dangerous visions Part I**

Time went on. It was nearly Midwinter. The inquiries about the people responsible for the dog's attack lead to nothing. The dog keeper could not be found. It seemed to be very well planned. The friends were too busy to wonder much about the incident. The lessons went on, the training went on and they still hoped that they would be able to care about their 'three friends' without an audience. But after the failed attack, the three pages were very careful and they didn't bother the others anymore.

"I guess the whole thing was too hot for them." Lachran suggested one winter evening. "Trying to kill somebody is punished seriously."

The whole training group was sitting in the library, doing their homework. They were together most of the time, a group of friends who took care of each other. Not only during their training. Even Nat and Sam joined them when they had time, although they preferred separating themselves from the other pages most of the time. They acted as if they knew each other their whole lifetime and were rare seen separated.

Ria nodded in agreement. "They will wait until the whole thing is forgotten."

Cori sighed. "I wished the whole thing would be over. It would be easier to face them now, clearing the whole situation. I hate waiting for their next attack."

"Well, there is at least one good thing about that situation." The other pages looked at Bery who grinned evilly. "We will have time to train. And we will beat them mercilessly." Bery hated the three for beating her up that brutal and unfair way. She wanted her revenge.

Sam looked at her alarmed. _'I hope she doesn't try something stupid. Well, I guess, I have to wait and to watch her.' She looked at Nat, who sat opposite of her, and saw in his eyes that he thought the same as she did. She smiled at him and he smiled back. _'It's like being congenial. He knows what I think, I know his thoughts.'_ Both continued concentrating on their work. Sam scratched her head. She was reading a book about magic. Again. __'Since that damned sorcerer knows about my little 'problem', he gives me more books than I can read. I shall find my own way, he says. Nobody has ever written something about someone like me, he says. Damned theoretical stuff. I don't want to be ignorant, but that's too much.' She felt Cori looking at her._

"Do you have a problem? May I help you?"

"Thanks, but I think nobody can help me." Sam looked really strained.

Cori was worried. "You are doing to much. Besides our normal training and classes, you are doing extra training and extra magic lessons. It exhausts you."

Sam looked tired to her. "I can't stop now. I will have to handle this. If I don't get control over my magic, it could end fatally. And if I stop training, I won't be able to be a real good knight. I think after a while it will be easier. I hope so." She smirked. "Do you know the worst?"

"No. What?"

"Master Numair wants to write a book about me. He has started already. He's writing about my development and my experiences. I feel really stupid. And generations after us will read about my stupidity. Isn't that great?"

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The early evening.

Normally the pages used that time to do their homework. But after noticing that Sam needed special magic training, she had to do extra magic lessons with Master Numair. So they worked in a special room, where Sam's magic accidents couldn't harm anybody.

"Well, Sam, today we will go on working with your magic. I think you have built up as much self-control as possible." Master Numair looked proud at the girl sitting in front of him. _'She's a good pupil. She will be a great sorcerer. It would be fantastic if she could concentrate only on her magic. But I think she prefers being a knight. What a pity. Well, let's see how she will do today.' Numair cleared his throat. "Your Wild Magic is quite strong. Not as strong as Daines', but after her you are the strongest Wildmage known."_

_'And the only Wildmage known.' Sam looked at him. "Is that the reason I can't really talk to animals?"_

Numair frowned. "I thought you were able to talk to them."

"Not really. It's not like Daine described it to me. No real conversation. I only ... feel what they want from me. An understanding without words. Like ..."

"Like what?"

"Like ... with plants."

Numair raised his eyebrows. "You talk to plants?"

Sam shook her head impatiently. "I've already said: no conversation. But I feel ... related ... somehow. It's hard to describe it. I don't even know if it's my imagination or not."

Numair scratched his chin. "Hm. You have some plant magic, too. But it's the Gift which lets you grow plants. Remember, your cousin has the same power, and she doesn't have any Wild Magic."

"I know that. I've only told you what I feel." Sam looked away, a bit angry. _'As if I were interested in the difference between Wild Magic and the Gift. I only want to get it under my control.'_ An idea came to her mind. "You told me that my Gift is interwoven with the Wild Magic."

"That's right. Why do mention that now?"

"Maybe this is a point where both support each other. I mean, my Gift gives me power over plants, and maybe the Wild Magic does it as well. Only in ... another way."

Numair was surprised by the new idea the girl had. _'Not bad. It could be possible.' "And where is the difference between both ways."_

Sam looked a little helpless_. 'Why do I have to figure this all out on my own. He's the teacher! He should tell me!' She thought over the idea again. Hesitating she started to speak. She seemed to be far away that moment. "The Gift gives me the power to influence plants. The Wild Magic gives me the power ... to understand the beings around me." She looked at Numair again. "I think that's it."_

Numair nodded impressed_. 'Not bad. She learns intuitively how to control her magic. I can't really help her. Normal training lessons are useless, at least most of the time. I can only show her the direction and ask the right questions.'_ He sighed. "Very good, Sam. You learn fast. I wish I could help you more."

Sam didn't respond. She waited for the next advice.

Numair sighed again_. 'I wish she wouldn't be that reserved. She acts like I were an enemy. I wish she would be more like Daine.' _He thought it over again and blushed_. 'Maybe not completely  like Daine. I hope she doesn't think that I want to seduce her.' He noticed Sam looking distrustfully at him__. 'Damn it. She noticed my blush. She has a good power of observing. To good.' Numair shook his head and let his thoughts go. "Well. Today I wanted to go deeper in your Gift. I don't have that much knowledge about plants, but I have a book about it, we could read together."_

Sam rolled her eyes. _'I knew it. Another book.'_

Numair didn't seem to notice her reaction and continued speaking. "I will fetch it and bring it here tomorrow. But today I planned to concentrate on your power to see the future."

Sam raised her eyebrows. "What? The future?"

Numair nodded enthusiastically. "I'm not sure, but I think you have the second sight."

Sam felt uncomfortable_. 'Why does this damned mage notice everything about my magic? I don't want to see the future. I know enough about my destiny. I don't want to know more.'_ She looked at her teacher. _'I guess I don't have a choice. Maybe it will give me some control. Goddess knows, I need it badly.'_ She closed her eyes when Numair pressed his fingers gently against her temples. He connected himself with her, to be able to help her if something went wrong. It would be horrible if she were to get lost in her future visions.

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Three o'clock in the morning.

Sam woke up sweating. She trembled. She had dreamed. She still did. So many pictures overflowed her mind. She didn't remember a single one. Too much information.

Sam pressed her hands against her head, trying to get control over her visions. She wasn't strong enough. She hadn't slept well since her magic lessons started, which means for weeks, and now she had to pay for it. She was too exhausted to control her Gift. She couldn't even think. She simply panicked. She tried to get out of her bed. Her feet weren't able to carry her weight. She fell down and lost herself in her visions, one word hammering in her mind: 

**Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny!**

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Next morning.

Cori knocked on Sam's door.

No reponse.

'Still meditating. She will be late for training.'

Cori opened the door, smiling.

Sam wasn't in her bed.

Cori looked down.

Her eyes widened.

"Sam!"

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What do you think? Please don't kill me because of the ending. I can't write when I'm dead.

Some information concerning the story:

I will shorten the whole story a bit. I won't describe everything too detailed. On the one side it would be boring, on the other side the main part of story takes place after the girls are knightened and the story would become to long describing every single day of the girls' lives. I will write about the most important episodes in their live.

If you have any special wishes about the plot, tell me. I don't know how much I will write about the triplets. Maybe they will get their own story. But my main character is and will be Sam. [I think you've already noticed that ;) ]

What do you think on the principal of writing another fic that bases on this one? Good or bad idea? I can invent a completely new story with new characters as well. (But it will be hard inventing new names again. Especially the last names.) Or shall I do both?


	15. Dangerous Visions Part II

Chapter 15:                                            **Dangerous Visions Part II**

Lachran, Nat, Milan, Colin, Quentin, Robert and Aaron were waiting at the training courts. The girls hadn't arrived yet.

Lachran traded a look with Milan. "Maybe they're still sleeping."

Milan raised his eyebrows. "All of them? Normally they are here much earlier than we are. They always come together. If one of them is sleeping too long, the others would wake her up."

Nat was worried. The others could feel his strain. His blue eyes were fixed at the corridor usually used by the girls. His fists were clenched. _'There is something wrong. Sam has never been late since she's been here. She looked tired after the last magic lesson yesterday.' _He shook his head and looked at the others.

After some hesitation Lachran went over and put a hand on Nat's shoulder. "I think everything's all right with them. Maybe ..."

"Maybe what? They are half an hour too late. This has never happened before."

Lachran looked at his former sponsor with surprise. _'He is different. Since she's been here, he is different. He's much more emotional than before.' He looked at his hand lying on Nat's shoulder. Last year Nat would have shook it off immediately. "Let's go to the girl's rooms. It's better than staying here, brooding."_

He looked in Nat's eyes again. "Come on."

The others agreed to come with them. But before they were even able to enter the corridor they saw someone coming towards them.

"Ria!" Aaron ran towards his sister. "Where have you been? We've waited for you. Where are the others?"

The little black haired girl looked up very slowly. Her bright blue eyes were widened and her lips quivered. She was really pale. None of the boys had ever seen the liveliest of the triplets in such a bad condition.

Ria looked at the boys. She didn't know how to start.

Nat stared at her, breathing hard.

Lachran stepped towards Ria . "What's the matter. What has happened? Where are the others?"

"Danny and Bery stayed with Cori. She's ... half crazy of fear." She looked directly in Nat's eyes. Her voice was very quiet, almost inaudible. "She found Sam half an hour ago, lying on the floor, next to her bed. She was bleeding, shaking. Nobody can wake her up. There's something wrong with her magic. She's glowing green. Master Numair and Duke Baird are with her. They don't know what's wrong with her, they can't touch her without being attacked by her magic."

Nat stormed in the direction of the girls' rooms. The others were looking at Ria, deeply shocked. Aaron embraced his sister. After a moment thinking about the news, the whole group walked towards the girls' wing.

When they arrived they found a shocked Cori, surrounded by Bery and Danny, and Nat staring at the door to Sam's room.

"What did they say? How is Sam?" Lachran looked worriedly at Cori.

Bery began to speak, voice shaking. "They came out a couple minutes ago. They said that something went wrong yesterday with a magical exercise Master Numair and Sam have been practising. They tried to wake up her second sight, and now it seems that they were successful. Too successful. It seems that all these visions are coming at the same time. She has no control over it, she can't stop it. It's too much for her mind to bear. So she's hiding deep inside herself, because she would become crazy seeing these visions all the time. And that's one problem. Her magic reacts automatically. She in a kind of self- defence right now. Anyone who touches her will be attacked. Nobody can do real magic to her, because her shield won't allow it. That means nobody can wake her up." A tear ran down her cheek. "They've already sent for her uncle. They tried all they could, but ... there has never been a case like hers ..."

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**Fog. White fog.**

**She looked around. There were colourful lightning bolts behind her.**

**In front of her there was light, peace and silence.**

**She hesitated one moment. She didn't want to go back. All these lightning bolts hurt her.**

**The only direction she could go was ahead.**

**She moved slowly towards the light.**

**It felt like flying.**

**Sam's heart felt lighter with every step.**

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Numair was sitting on a chair next to Sam's bed. The only thing he could do was stare at the girl.

_'It's my fault. She didn't really want to work on her magic. I nearly forced her to go deeper in her magic. What happened last night? I thought the gate to her visions was closed. Nothing should have gone wrong. Is it possible that her Wild Magic interfered again? Why? How? I don't understand.'_

Somebody knocked on the door and entered.

"Daine!" Numair's face lightened a bit.

Daine looked at the sleeping girl. "How is she?"

Numair shrugged. "I don't know. I can only guess. Not better than before. I can't do anything. If I fight her magical shield, she will probably die. If she was awake it would be something different. She would be able to give up her shield before using all her life source. But this shield was built up by her subconscious. She felt attacked and reacted automatically. She fled from the pain into her subconscious and built up a wall around her to protect herself, until she's awake again. And such a powerful shield. I knew she had the potential. But I didn't think that it could get out of control. Not this way. I should have never tried that spell."

Daine embraced him. "You didn't know what would happen."

Numair looked into her eyes. "Can you see her Wild Magic. I still have difficulties seeing it."

Daine looked at the girl again. "It's interwoven in the shield. As always."

Numair nodded tiredly. "That's the other difficulty. How can you destroy a shield made of Wild Magic AND the Gift of a damned strong war mage? I never tried." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. It was late afternoon. He hadn't left the room yet. "What's happening outside?"

"Well, her friends are gone. They had to be forced to, but they went. Each of them fears losing her. I always thought she was a lone wolf, but she has quite a lot of friends."

Numair sighed. "I hope these friendships are enough for her to fight. I hope she wants to come back with all her heart. I guess that's the only possibility for her to wake up."

"I don't know her much, but there's one thing I know. She's a fighter."

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**The fog was gone.**

**She was in a large forest.**

**It was so peaceful here: the silence, the atmosphere, everything.**

**Suddenly she heard a noise. Water. A little creek.**

**She knew, she had to follow the noise.**

**When she arrived she smiled.**

**_'How beautiful.'_**

**The only thing she wanted was to sit down and enjoy it.**

**But she knew, she had to go.**

**There was something waiting for her.**

**DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY!**

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Lord Victor was sitting next to his niece. He had thrown the other people out of the room. He wanted to be alone with her. He didn't want to hear all the useless excuses. It didn't help him. It didn't help her.

He looked at her small, delicate face. She looked so peaceful. Like her mother when she was asleep.

He still remembered the day of her birth. He had been travelling to his sister to visit her. The day he arrived Sam was born. He had seen her, he had held her, directly after she was born. He had seen the happiness in his sisters eyes, and the pride in those of his brother-in-law.

And he still remembered the day they brought her to his fief. She had been alone under foreigners for a year. She had been so fearful. She couldn't sleep. She had nightmares. She had lost everything she loved. But to everyone's surprise she trusted her uncle immediately. Everybody was afraid of him. His warrior name had been 'The Hawk', because of his looks. Every child that ever saw him fled. But Sam felt protected when she was with him. And that was what he wanted to do, protect the daughter of his beloved sister.

He knew he wouldn't live forever. And he didn't trust those incompetent idiots calling themselves nobles or knights. His brother-in-law had been both. And he hadn't been able to protect his family. His sister died because she wasn't able to protect herself.

This would never happen to Sam. She would be prepared. That's why he sent her here.

He had never thought about a possibility like this.

He buried his head in his hands.

She was everything he had. There was nobody else. His wife had died. He had no children. He wasn't that closely connected to his other sister. He was a lone wolf. She had been his light.

He hoped his light wouldn't be extinguished.

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**She was walking into a lake. The water reached to her hips. It was cool and comfortable.**

**She was walking towards an island with a huge tree. It was an oak. A very large, old oak.**

**When she arrived she touched the huge roots and lifted herself up.**

**Now she was leaning against the trunk, knowing that she had finally arrived. She closed her eyes, enjoying the peace.**

**_*Welcome, little one. I've been waiting for you. But you are too early. That's not good.*_**

**Sam wasn't surprised at all. It was as if she had expected the tree would speak to her. "I know, it's too early. But I had no choice. I can't control it anymore. I don't know what to do."**

**_*I see. You shouldn't have tried to wake up. You are not ready. The time hasn't come yet.*_**

**"I didn't want to wake up. I was forced to. They said that I should learn using my power. I have to get control over it. Otherwise it could be dangerous for everybody."**

**_*You had the control. Only when you use it the wrong way it's dangerous.*_**

**"I don't know the right way."**

**_*Of course you do. You are only too afraid to do it.*_**

**"Can't you help me stop it? I can't go back if it doesn't stop. I will never try to see the future without permission again."**

**_*You want back. You are the first who wants back.*_**

**"I have something to do before I can stay here. We will see eachother soon, after I've done what I have to do."**

**_*You really want to kill him?*_**

**"Yes. It's my destiny. I saw it. I know it."**

**_*You know you will die when you kill him.*_**

**"I know it. It's my destiny. My task."**

*No. You have another task. You will see it with time.* The oak signed. *I will help you, little one. When you go back, your power will be gone for a while. It will come back when you are ready to control it. Without magic you won't be forced to use it.*

**"Thank you. Can I stay here a moment? It's so peaceful here."**

**_*Of course you can. It's your home.*_**

**"Thank you mother."**

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Sam slowly opened her eyes. Her head and the rest of her body felt horrible. The light hurt her eyes. She blinked surprised.

There were people in her room. On her right side, her uncle was sitting on a chair. On her left side, Cori and Nat were waiting. At the other side of the room Master Numair, Duke Baird and the Wildmage were talking silently. Nobody noticed that she was awake.

She raised her head moaning.

Suddenly everybody was staring at her.

"Sam?" Cori was rising from her chair. "Are you awake?"

"Hmm." Sam tried to raise the rest of her body. When she was sitting her headache increased. "I guess I'm awake. Sleep doesn't hurt this much."

Immediately Duke Baird was next to her. "Your head was crushed into the floor. You have a concussion. Don't fight me."

Sam felt the magic in her body. She knew it would be the only magic inside herself for a long time.

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That was quite a long chapter. I hope you like it.


	16. Life without Magic

Chapter 16:                                            **Life without Magic**

Midwinter came and went by. Sam recovered  from her experience very fast. She didn't remember how she had been able to stop her visions. Her last memory was her breakdown in the middle of the night. She soon was able to go on with her training, classes and duties. After a while she seemed to be the same as before.

Her uncle had been really angry with Master Numair. But after a talk with his niece he had decided to keep quiet. He wasn't a mage himself, but he knew how difficult the Gift and especially Wild Magic could be.

It was nearly impossible to meet Sam without Nat anymore. The boy was at her side as often as possible. It seemed as if he was afraid of losing her. First the other pages made jokes about them, but after some confrontations with Lachran and the rest of the group they stopped it. Everybody had noticed how different Nat acted since Sam was here. He was much friendlier now, and nobody really wanted the old Nat back.

And everybody still wondered what had happened to Sam that night. How could her magic get out of control with Master Numair being her teacher? And everybody wanted to know what Sam had seen. What visions did she have? How does the future look like?

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Lady Alanna was watching the pages while they were training in the early morning. She hid in the shadows and wished she could help them. But she was glad, at least, to see Sam well again.

"She seems to be the same as before." Alanna and Kel always talked after the pages had left.

Kel nodded slowly. "She learns as fast as she did before. Only her reflexes are a bit slower now. I think her magic allowed her to sense the movements of her opponent. But now all her magic is gone ... How long will it take until she gets it back?"

Alanna frowned and raised her hands helplessly. "Her breakdown was two weeks before Midwinter. That was three months ago. Normally her magic should have recovered at least a bit. But there isn't even a hint of magic in her. I would like to take care of her myself, but it would do her more harm than help." She signed sadly. "It seems that I'm condemned to only watch from far away without being able to help for the rest of my life. I hate being helpless."

"But you will able to meet the girls after they are knightened."

"And what about new girl pages? Next year there will be at least two new female pages."

"That's great!"

Alanna grinned. "I agree with you. I always hoped for that. But now back to Sam. Has she problems living without magic?"

Kel grinned a bit. "Not at all. I think she's the only one who doesn't think this is a loss. She told me yesterday that she's happy to train without her magic supporting her. She says it felt like cheating. Now, she says, she needs to develop more physical strength. And she trains with all her heart and soul." Kel chuckled. "Cori and Nat are not that happy. They still look as if she could faint again at every minute. It's really funny watching two children acting like parents of another child."

Alanna grinned. "I've also noticed it." Her face became thoughtful. "It's irritating. He looks like his uncle. The same face, the same hair, the same eyes. But he acts completely different. He has an aura of sadness around him. Only when she's with him it's different. His life isn't easy. I hope he will become a good knight. I think he's earning his way more than some of the other pages. After all your nephew told you ... well I'm sure he will be a very good knight."

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"Oh my gods! Oh my gods! Oh my gods!" Cori was walking up and down in the library kneading her hands.

Sam rubbed her eyes. "Please. Stop. That. I'm getting dizzy watching you."

Cori turned to her cousin."How can you be so damned calm. The tests are tomorrow!"

"That's no reason to go crazy. Besides, you are a little bit too loud for a library, don't you agree?" Sam looked around watching the other pages of their group. Their faces had all the shades of red, white and green a human face could have. They all seemed to be concentrating or panicking, as they looked into their books. When she stopped at Nat, she noticed that even he was nervous, although he didn't show it that much.

Sam sighed. She wasn't nervous. To be honest, she had to admit that she had problems feeling anything since winter, since her break down. Months had passed and her magic hadn't come back yet. First she had enjoyed it, somehow. It was a good chance to learn how to fight without her magic. But now she missed it. She felt incomplete. Sometimes she lost herself in her thoughts without noticing it, until somebody woke her up. It seemed like she was searching for something. And she never remembered what she was thinking about.

"Hello! Earth to Sam!"

Sam blinked confused. Cori was standing in front of her, her hands waving to get her attention. "W ... What?"

Cori sighed. "Stop sleeping, at least while I'm going mad in front of you. I need some encouragement."

Sam chuckled a bit. "Encouragement? Ok, let's see. Well, Cori, queen of wisdom, the day you fail the test is the day the world stops turning. The sky will turn dark, the sun will hide and ..."

"Oh! Stop joking! That' not nice."

"I never pretended being nice."

"You are my cousin. You are supposed to support me."

"The last time I tried to support you, you yelled at me."

"When did I yell at you?"

"Stables. Yesterday."

"That was a completely different situation. And I didn't yell."

"Your voice was shrill. Your horse tried to run away."

"Moondancer is a little bit too sensitive. Besides, your horse stayed."

"Ghost is an old war horse. Nothing bothers him anymore."

"I didn't yell!"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Do we have to start this again?"

"You started it."

Meanwhile ,all the pages in the library were watching the two cousins, chuckling. It was rare that Cori lost her temper. And it was even more rare to hear Sam arguing like that. Normally Sam simply turned round when she was bored by a conversation. Some of the other pages had already tried to make jokes at her, or start a verbal combat, but it didn't work. Either she ignored them or she made a comment that turned their own jokes back on them. And nobody really wanted to discuss it seriously with her. It wasn't worth the effort.

"You're acting like a child."

"I am a child."

"You are a page."

"And a child."

Sam shook her head. "Ok. That's it. I'm off." She got up and the left the room. Before she closed the door behind her she looked at Lachran and said. "Now it's your turn. Good luck."

Lachran's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no!"

Cori turned to him. "What did you say?"

Sam closed the door and went off quickly. _'If she weren't my cousin, I would never join such a stupid conversation. But when she's mad at me, she stops thinking about the tests.'_

Sam looked around and found herself in one of the parks. _'Why did I come here?' She looked around. She heard a noise behind her. She turned around quickly._

Her eyes became huge. "You!"

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Sorry for updating so late. It will take some time till the next chapter. I'm back at school now (You can imagine how happy I am about that.) . My last year. I will be quite busy, but I write as often as I can.

For all who want me to sent an E-Mail: I can't. My computer simply refuses to do this job. I've tried a lot to fix that, but that cursed thing doesn't sent ANY E-Mails. But I will try my best to change that.

Finally a little poll:

Who do you think Sam is meeting?

1 a)  Somebody you know already.

    b)  Somebody you don't know.

2 a)  An enemy.

   b)  A friend.

I'm anxious for your speculations.


	17. You are our hope

Chapter 17:                                            **You are our hope**

Sam was staring at the woman in front of her. She didn't see her face, yet. The woman was wearing a long dark cape, the hood covering her head. Only her chin and her elegant hands were visible. But Sam knew exactly who she was. "I knew somebody would come, but I never thought it would be you." Sam's eyes narrowed. "What do you want here? There is a price on your head. It's too dangerous to leave your mountain."

The woman in front of her chuckled lightly. "I'm safe, little one. It's not my destiny to die now. You of all should know that."

Sam frowned. "You shouldn't challenge destiny. You of all should now that."

The woman chuckled again and raised one of her hands. It was white as snow, thin and elegant. Some ladies would have killed for skin and hands like hers. "Come with me, little one. I have to talk to you."

Sam looked at the hand in front of her. "I can't simply go. I'm not allowed to leave the palace without permission."

"We wont leave. We will just go somewhere more private."

After some hesitation, Sam took the hand and followed the woman.

The woman led Sam through corridors she had never seen before. _'This palace is a maze.'_ After a while they arrived at a small but comfortable room. "Sit down, little one. Do you want tea?"

Sam nodded slowly and sat down. "What kind of tea."

"Your favourite, if I remember correctly."

A servant came in and brought a teapot and two cups. She poured out the cups and vanished, after bowing deeply to the woman and even deeper to Sam.

Finally the woman took off her cape. She was very beautiful. Her skin and her hair were white like snow, although she looked not older than thirty years of age. Her face was delicate, as well as her full red lips. But her most conspicuous feature was her moss green eyes. They were a little brighter than Sam's and her stare was not that intense.

Sam took a cup and inhaled the smell of the deep red liquid. Her face brightened a bit. "Your memory doesn't trick you. It has been a long time since I drank this mixture." She nipped and continued speaking, serious again. "What brought you here?"

The woman looked calmly at her, leaning back in her seat. "You know exactly why I am here. You nearly died. I know it was winter when it happened and I'm a bit late, but the journey is quite long for somebody who has to hide."

"Well I didn't expect you to come here yourself."

"Nobody else would understand what happened to you. You opened the door to the future without permission, little one. You tried to wake up, much to early. It was very a very dangerous thing that you did. I'm here to remind you where your place is."

Sam put her cup at the table and looked straight into the woman's eyes. "How could I ever forget my place. I hope you don't forget yours. It was an accident. But I don't have any problems at the moment. I'm safe."

The woman raised a delicate eyebrow. "Are you sure. You still don't have control over your power. It will come back, stronger than before. It will control you if you are not able to control it."

"I will control it. I'm meditating every day the way you taught me. I'm learning, practising ... I simply do all I can."

Suddenly the woman bent to her, caressing her cheek. "I know, I know. I felt your pain. I'm not here to argue. I only want you to be more careful. If you die, we all are lost. I'm sorry, but it's true. Our lives depend on yours."

Sam turned her face away. "I know, " she whispered. "How could I ever forget that, Galina."

The woman's eyes turned sad. "I know it's hard, but nobody can change it. You are the last of your family. If you die childless, the consequences would be horrible. You have to be very careful. He is still searching for the sword. Don't cause to much attention." She signed. "But that's not the only reason I came here."

Sam looked back again. Out of nowhere Galina had a weapon in her hand. A dagger. Sam's eyes became huge. "Is that what I think it is?"

Galina smiled. "Of course it is."

"Are you insane?" Sam jumped up. "You could have been caught. Can you imagine what would have happened if he got his hands on it?"

"Calm down. It is necessary that you get it."

"Damn it! It was safer where it was before. Nobody has ever conquered the holy mountain. It is dangerous enough to have the other things with me. What did you think you were doing?"

Galina raised from her seat and lifted the dagger in her hands. "It is yours. Nobody else can handle it. You will need it someday. Take it."

Sam glared at the dagger. Slowly she raised her left hand and took it. Immediately she felt an energy entering her body. She gasped. She had to fight to get control over it, but finally she managed. Tired she fell down on her seat. "It could have killed me, priestess."

"Why did you take it then?"

Sam glared at her. "As if I had a choice."

"Well, I see you understand, finally. Very good. By the way, we will have to take care of your education, my dear."

Sam raised her eyebrows. "What's wrong with it?"

"It is not proper for someone of your status."

"Now you are sounding like some of these conservatives."

"You will have to learn the way of your family. When you come at fief Pinehollow during summer time, there will be some teachers waiting for you."

"Now you are sounding like my uncle."

Galina grinned. "I knew you would like it."

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Bery looked up to the clouded sky. Rain fell down, touching her skin lightly. The young girl sighed. How fast the time went by. She had been successful at the test. The camp was nearly  over. She would soon be able to go home. She still couldn't believe that she had done it. She had survived the first year. And she had been successful. It had been hard, but now she knew it was worth the effort. When she remembered her fears when the year started, her childish behaviour ... well, now she felt different. She had changed without even noticing.

"What are you thinking of?"

Bery looked to her right side. One of the triplets was there, riding next to her. She looked quickly at the horse's colour. _'Black. Must be Danny. At least if they haven't changed horses.' Bery smiled. "Nothing special. Only about the past year, that's all."_

Danny grinned. "Yeah. It was a busy year. A little bit strange sometimes, but at least not boring."

Bery chuckled. "I don't think anybody would every be bored with you being around."

Danny seemed proud of that fact. "Indeed. I agree with you."

"I didn't think I could make it. But I did it. We did it. We even passed the tests. That was the most horrible part for me."

"Really? Even more horrible than being beaten up? Worse than the dog's attack or Sam's breakdown?"

"Well that was more than horrible. But you don't know my stage- fright."

Suddenly they heard the other pages' gasps. Both girls looked around.

Bery became pale. "A Stormwing."

"Where?"

"There. In that tree."

"Now I see him. Oh gods. A real Stormwing. What if he wants to attack us?

The pages and their training masters became nervous. But the Stormwing didn't seem willing to attack them.

He grinned devilishly. "That's fine, little pigs. Give me your fear. Feed me." He chuckled when Lord Padraig and the Shangs took their bows, ready for a fight. "You are not at war. I wont attack you, although I would really like to."

Lord Padraig urged the pages to ride faster, while the Shangs still kept an eye on the Stormwing.

All pages were more than uncomfortable being near that immortal creature. Only one girl stopped a brief moment under the tree staring at the Stormwing. The girl didn't fear him, she didn't even hate him. He could feel that. The Immortal stared back in those moss green eyes, and a realisation hit him. Unnoticed by most of the other pages, it seemed that the mortal page and the immortal Stormwing shared a secret.

Bery and Danny watched their friend and the Stormwing. For a moment it seemed as if they had known each other. As it they were talking mind to mind. As if they knew something nobody else knew.

Bery heard Danny's whisper. "For somebody whose family was killed by Stormwings, Sam reacts quite calmly. It seems that she even likes this creature."

Bery suddenly felt uncomfortable_. 'I don't know how long they can keep Sam's secret. I don't understand why they don't want to tell it even to our friends. If Sam continues acting like this, people will soon wonder. Everybody can see that Sam doesn't hate Stormwings. And only a fool would think the story about her family being killed by Stormwings is true.'_

The Stormwing watched the pages untill they were out of his sight.

'I didn't think I would meet her here. I thought she and her people had died out while we were imprisoned at the Divine Realms. Now she has another shape, but it's still her.'

He chuckled.

'I'm impressed. I wonder how she will change human history this time. I can feel her awakening. There will be war again. And maybe I will see her die again.'

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Thank you for all your reviews. Its interesting what you think about the story. I think I will start another poll soon. :)

So what do you think about this chapter? I know it's still short but I really try. My parents and my teachers think that a pupil needs no free time.

**Shadow Wolf:   Do you still think the only enemies are those three boys? That would be much to easy. I will say only one thing: There is somebody hiding in the darkness, waiting for his chance. I promised a big bad enemy, and I keep my promises.**

**mysticflame151:   Do you want me to write a sequel to that story with the triplets as the main characters or do you want me to write more about them in the one of the next chapters? Or both? I have already something in mind for a sequel with the triplets, but I first have to finish this story.**


	18. Back At Palace

Chapter 18:                                            **Back at Palace**

"SAM! Your black monster of a horse is breaking his box again. DO SOMETHING!" Cori yelled through the stables in the royal palace.

The pages were back at the palace again. It was the first day of the new training year. Nat, Sam, Cori and Cori's sister, Felicitas, were of the first who had arrived.

Sam ran into the stable and opened the box of her new horse, a black stallion with more of a temper than what was good for him. When Sam entered the box, the stallion calmed down immediately, pushing his head softly at Sam's belly.

Cori shook her head. "That animal is crazy. Beautiful, but crazy."

Sam turned to her cousin. "That's not true. He isn't crazy. And he is not a monster. He doesn't feel comfortable here."

"Here and in all the inns we have been at the last couple of days."

"It's not his fault."

Nat joined the girls, grinning. "You have been discussing his habits since we left Pinehollow. I don't think he will change because of this. And Cori you know he's a good war horse when Sam is with him."

Cori glared at Nat. "But he can't be with her all the time."

Sam was scratching her stallion behind his ear softly, grinning when he closed his eyes, relaxing. "He will behave."

"Who will behave?"

Cori turned around. "Bery!" She embraced her friend immediately.

Bery growled a bit. "Why do you have to start with that damn bullshit again?"

Cori giggled and let her go. "I'm sorry. It's like a reflex. I can't suppress it."

Nat and Sam traded amused looks.

Bery looked a bit pissed off, and said as sarcastically as she could: "Yeah, sure. People always act like that around me. Do me a favour and don't fall in love with me. By the way, hello Sam, hello Nat. When did you arrive?"

"We arrived together. Nat was my guest half of the holidays. Cori and Feli joined us two weeks ago."

Bery raised her eyebrows. "Oh. Little Felicitas is here, too? Well, I shouldn't be surprised that your sister came here, Cori. When she was young, she was more of a boy than a girl was. I guess she's at Lord Padraig at the moment."

Cori grinned. "That's right. She's there with my father. You reminded me, we have to hurry up now. He will leave soon. And we have to get ready for dinner." She turned to Nat. "Do you want to be my sister's sponsor?"

Nat blinked, surprised. "Cori, she's afraid of me."

"No! She's just a bit ... shy."

"I don't think that's a good idea. I don't have any luck being a sponsor. It always ends up in violence."

Sam looked at him with raised eyebrows. "You haven't been beaten since Lachran heard of it. At least not regularly. And what was that about no luck with sponsoring? I think your luck began with it."

Nat raised his hands in defeat. "Ok. I take it back. But I still think it's not a good idea."

Cori scratched her head. "That's a pity. I thought you would be a good example for her."

Nat blushed after the comment. "W..what?"

"Well, you are a good and brave fighter, you are honest, not arrogant at all and you will be a great knight."

Now Nat's face was dark red. "Pardon?"

Sam grinned at his reaction. "She's true. I told you already."

Nat glared confused at the girls in front of him. They seemed to be honest. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't used to compliments.

Sam left the box. "You behave Triton." Then she turned to Nat, took his arm and pulled him out of the stable. "You don't have to, if you don't want. But you have to increase your self- confidence."

Cori and Bery followed the two, giggling.

"He's sweet when he is embarrassed."

"Does that mean you are interested, Cori?"

"Give me ten years and I will answer you. I'm too young to think about boys."

"Ten years. Your need a lot of time to get interested in boys."

"I take my time."

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It was time to choose sponsors for the new pages. This time Sam and the others didn't have to worry about that. Bery had agreed to be Feli's sponsor.

Sam looked at the new pages. Her eyes rested at Feli for a moment. _'She seems uncertain. She doesn't have to worry. She already has friends here.' _Feli had inherited her father's brown hair, and the golden eyes of the Pinehollow family her mother belonged to. Sam liked the silent and shy girl.

Sam continued looking at the first years, when she was interrupted by Quentin. "Look there. That's the second girl. Moana of Granite Ridge." He pointed towards a small girl with red- brown hair and nearly black eyes. "Who do you think will sponsor her?"

"One of us, I think. The others don't want to have problems with our three 'friends', you know. Why don't you take her?"

Quentin shook his head vehement. "No! Not after my last experience."

They heard the triplets giggle behind them.

Sam grinned. "Nat didn't want to be sponsor, too."

"Nat has nothing to complain about ... apart from the beatings, of course. You didn't vanish every thirty seconds."

"Are you sure I didn't?"

Quentin looked at her confused. _'I will never understand that girl. I hope the rest of her sex isn't that mysterious or life will be hard as a grown up. I guess father is right in saying females are another species.'_

Lord Padraig started the routine.

After a while: "Who will sponsor Felicitas of Kourell?"

"I will sponsor her."

"Berenice of Gohman will sponsor Felicitas of Kourell."

"Who will sponsor Moana of Granite Ridge?"

Lachran was about to speak when the friends heard a familiar voice. "I will sponsor her."

Everybody blinked with surprise.

Sam immediately shouted. "No! I will sponsor her."

Lord Padraig looked a bit confused. "Well, two at once. But I think it's better for page Moana to get the older, more experienced page as a sponsor. Besides, he was the first. Damian of Windshole will sponsor Moana of Granite Ridge."

Sam suppressed a curse. She stared at the older page, who grinned evilly at her.

"What does he want to achieve? It must be a trick to make her leave." Cori stared at her cousin's face, waiting for an answer.

Sam clenched her fists. "It's no trick. It's a challenge."

Moana looked startled. She didn't know what trouble she was in. Yet.

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The friends watched Moana and her sponsor until the girl went to her bedroom. Cori and the other girls took care of her immediately. Sam went away unnoticed.

Damian was already waiting. He was standing in the corridor that leads to the library. "I knew you would come."

Sam's eyes darkened. "What do you want?"

"You."

"What!"

He grinned at her. "You are the one I want to compete with. You are a worthy opponent. I want a fight. You against me. A competition. If you win, I will leave the girl to you. If I win, well I think you know what I want."

"You want me to leave."

"No."

Sam frowned confused. "What else could you want?"

"I want to beat you. I want you to bow when I am around. A want to destroy your pride. I want to show you your place. You will have to pay tribute to me, you will have to watch how I get rid of the girl and I think you will go without my influence, because you can't endure that very long."

Sam's eyes narrowed. "My place is high above you. Don't underestimate me. It could be you who has to beg."

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I was pretty fast this time. (When I take more time with some chapters it means that I have to develop new ideas. This time it hit me and I had to write it down.)

I know it's another cliffy, but I love my cliffys. :)

I hope you enjoy this chapter.


	19. Challenges

Chapter 19:                                            **Challenges**

"Are you crazy!" Nat took Sam's shoulders and shook her. "You can't go alone. He is a coward. He has proved this often. He won't go there alone. He will be with his friends. They will kill you!"

"Maybe."

"MAYBE? You must be insane. Why have you agreed?"

Sam returned Nat's intense gaze. "Shall I leave her to his mercy? That is a question of honour. I couldn't bear leaving her to him."

"I won't allow this." Nat's voice was just a growl now. "I won't allow you to be killed."

Sam got free of his grip. She raised her hand and put her hand on his cheek. "Remember what I told you that night, one year ago? I wont die. It's not my time to die. I know it."

"But what if the vision of your death isn't true?"

"It is true. I know it. I will die when I'm grown up. Not as long as I'm a child. Now calm down. I am prepared. We have trained all of last year together, and I had special training at home. You have seen me fight. You know what I can do."

Nat still looked worried. "I saw you fight. I know you are stronger than most of us. I won't worry about a single, fair opponent. But Damian is everything but fair."

"Nat, I am born a warrior. From the day of my birth, I was prepared to protect my people. If I can't handle a single 14 year old boy, everything I represent is a lie, a joke."

"Have you even told Moana what you want to do for her?"

"No, because it's not her fault. She has nothing to do with our fight. He challenged ME. Not her. She wouldn't be in this trouble without me."

"That's not true. She is a girl who wants to be a knight. She would have been in trouble without you as well. People like him always do such things. When do you want to fight?"

"I don't know yet. We will meet soon and decide the time, place and weapons. We have to choose a setting where we aren't interrupted"

Nat snorted. "Of course. I would be bad for him to be watched while he and his friends kill you."

Sam embraced him out of the blue. "I wont leave you. I swear. Don't worry my friend. I am not ready to die." _'I can't let him come with me. If it is a trap ... I don't want him to die because of my pride.'_

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Sam was waiting in the park near the pages' wing. She knew it very well by now. She had spent a lot of time there the last year. She sighed and looked up at the sky. It was nearly midnight. The stars were glowing bright. The longer she stared up there, the more stars she could see. She realised that she was searching for something. She didn't know what, but she had caught herself quite often watching the sky lost in thoughts she couldn't remember later. It had started a month after her breakdown_. 'As if the stars were hiding a secret. My secret. My destiny written down in their movements. If only I could understand.' She shook her head to get free of her thoughts. _'It's not the right time for this.' _She turned around an froze. __'Damian!'_

He was leaning against a tree, staring at her intensely. She returned his gaze. He was not that bad looking. Ok, he was quite handsome ... somehow. Black hair, bright blue eyes with a hint of green in them. And he was strong. She could see it not only in his shape, but in his movement, as well. _'He will be a dangerous opponent. Why is he staring at me like that? I don't see hate in his eyes. He is looking at me as if I were a rare animal. It makes me nervous.'_

Damian moved slowly towards Sam. _'She is worth the effort. She will give me a good fight. I saw her practising with her friends last year. She is good. If she was a boy, I would make her my friend.' He started to grin._ 'But at least I will have fun.'__

"You are late." Sam's voice was calmer than she felt.

"No. You are early."

"Bad excuse. Well, I don't want to waste more time. Where do we fight and what weapons do we use?"

Damian smirked. "No weapons, if you agree. I thought about a hall I know, which isn't used. If you agree we can fight there."

_'I have a choice? That's strange. Well let's see how long he acts like this.' Sam frowned. "I agree with your choices. When do we meet?"_

"I would say ... in a week. So we will have time to get prepared."

"Fine. I will be there."

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**          She was running through a dark corridor.**

**          She heard noises. There was a fight.**

**          Finally, she arrived at a door. She opened it slowly.**

**          She saw her father fighting with somebody she knew. With someone he used to fight.    **

**          With someone he trusted. But this time it was different.**

**          Sam felt danger in the air. She could hardly breathe.**

**          She wanted to shout. She wanted to warn him.**

**          Not sound escaped from her lips.**

**          Suddenly everything went dark. She heard the sound of a sword cutting through flesh and **

**          bones. She heard her little brother scream. She heard her mother's cries. Then suddenly **

**          ... silence.**

**          Someone took her in his arms and ran away. She felt a pain at her backside. Then the **

**          person carrying her fell down, throwing her away.**

**          Sam was falling for what seemed to be an eternity.**

**          Blood all over her.**

Sam opened her eyes. She felt cold, although the nights were still warm and although she was covered with a blanket. It came from inside. Sam raised her hand to her cheeks. No tears. Her tears were frozen deep  inside of her. _'Today I will have to face Damian. But why? Is it really necessary to fight? If he wants me to bow to him, why don't I simply do it? It wouldn't really hurt me.'_

Sam sighed. _'I wish I was more of a peaceful creature as my people are, as my parents were. But I am born as a fighter. I guess that's my destiny. Violence. Hatred. If only I could get rid of it. It kills my personality bit by bit. Someday there might me nothing left of the person I've once been.'_

She clenched her fists_. 'But if I'm supposed to die, I will take the person with me who caused this. I will kill the murderer of my family. I will kill the slaughterer of my people. Maybe it's the best my line dying out with me. How could I give birth to a child knowing that it would only have to take over the same burden I took from my father.'_

She got up and opened her chest. She looked at the weapons inside of it. _'It's strange. My ancestors created these things to increase their power, and they got destroyed by them. And all the following generations spent their lifes to guard what they inherited, because if they didn't do it and these weapons got into the wrong hands, hell would break loose. If only I could destroy them. I know they are part of my own power. Losing them would mean losing a part of the control over my people. But it would be worth it. Even if it meant losing everything?'_

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"Where is Sam?" Nat nearly screamed.

Cori looked at him surprised. "I don't know. She left an hour ago. I think she wants to be alone. That's nothing special. Why are you so.."

"Damn it. She's really meeting him."

Suddenly, Cori was worried. "Whom?"

Nat glared at her, not knowing if he should tell her. "Damian. He challenged her. He said he would let go of Moana if she wins. What he wants if she loses I don't know. But I can imagine what it could be."

"You're telling me that she wants to face him ALONE? He will trick her. He will beat her up together with his friends."

"I told her that. But has she ever listened to my advice?"

"Yes!"

Nat growled. "Well, this time she didn't. She will meet him ALONE, at a place nobody else knows, where they aren't disturbed. Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" He hit the wall with his fist.

Moana was about to open the door of her room to go outside, when she heard someone shouting_. 'Isn't that Cori and that strange guy ... Nat? The one who's always with the strange girl. Sam, I think. Feli talked about her. I should listen more when she talks to me.'_ Mo didn't know what to do. Should she go outside and disturb the two, or should she wait until they were gone? Honestly, she was a bit afraid of Nat and Sam. Nat was so cold and he never really laughed. And Sam  was always so direct and she had such an intense gaze. Before Mo could make a decision she heard Nat saying something about her and her sponsor. _'What ... ?'_

"And what are we supposed to do now." Cori looked helpless. "Wait until they find her dead body?"

Mo gasped. _'DEAD BODY? What the hell is going on here.'_

Nat shook his head. "I still can't believe that somebody at his age wants to kill another child."

"Remember the dog. If it wasn't him and his friends who sent it to kill us, who else could it be?"

Nat looked in her eyes. "Maybe the secret isn't a secret anymore. Maybe we will have to face him earlier than we all thought."

Cori starred at him. "You think he has finally found her? B...but ... he doesn't know that she has survived. Only we and her people know it. How ... ?"

"Maybe he sensed the sword. Maybe he heard about a strange girl with moss green eyes living in Tortall. He knows where her mother came from. He knows that by law of her people children belong to the mother and to the family of the mother. If I was searching for her, I would search for her at her mother's family. I'm surprised he hasn't done it yet."

Cori lowered her eyes and whispered. "He has already. Some months after ... they died. My uncle told me. Sam arrived much later. That's why he doesn't know she's here."

Nat rubbed his forehead. "I guess we should be careful. It might be an unfounded worry. Maybe it was really Damian and his friends who tried to kill one of you. Remember, a page with blond hair. That limits the number of possible victims. Let's search for her. We have to alarm the rest of the group. The palace is a maze. We need all the help we can get."

Both turned around and ran towards the library where their friends were studying.

Mo was still standing in her room. Her face was pale_. 'Sam is in danger. Partly because of me, but mainly because of someone else.' She shook her head unbelieving__. 'What is going on here? First I'm sponsored by this arrogant jerk, then somebody who I thought didn't like me at all fights for me. She is risking her life without even telling me a single word about it. And finally, I hear that this person is in great danger, in danger to be killed? She's only eleven years old. What has she done to deserve being threatened like this? What am I supposed to do now? It sounded like a secret. If she really is in danger, I shouldn't tell anybody. But I need someone to talk to. What shall I do? Who can I turn to?'_

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Sam was sitting on the floor of the hall where she and Damian decided to fight. Her eyes were closed and she looked calm and concentrated.

Damian entered the hall slowly. He always felt strange around her. He often caught himself watching her. He thought a lot about her. She was a fascinating creature. He didn't really know who she was. He was able to estimate everyone else. Everyone but her. She was hiding something.

Sam slowly opened her eyes. She looked calmly at her opponent.

Damian stared back. Those moss green eyes. He never saw eyes like hers before. They were unreadable,  powerful, frightening.

She got up, ready for battle. She only waited for him.

He put his usual sly grin back on his face. "I've waited long for this. LET'S GO." And with this he started to attack her. He tried to hit directly at her face ... and found himself on the floor. _'What ...?' She had used his own speed and forced it against him._

Sam stood next to him, fists raised, waiting for him to get up. _'No hate, no anger, no fear. Stay calm, watch your opponent. Concentrate only on the fight. Nothing else matters. Nothing else exists besides you and your opponent.'_ She repeated the words of her former training masters.

Damain quickly got up, watching her more carefully. Then he grinned again. _'I knew it. It will be a great fight.'_

The fight started again. First, none of them was able to get a real hit on the other. Either they were able to block it, or they dodged it.

Damian was strong and already quite an experienced fighter. He was bigger, older, more ruthless.

Sam was smaller, quicker, more agile. She used his speed and movements against him. But her self- defence- skills were not created to hurt someone. Those who had invented these movements centuries ago only wanted to protect themselves, tiring the opponent until he stops fighting himself, or breaks down. But Sam needed more to beat Damian. She needed to mix up all she had been taught in her lifetime. She had to combine different fighting skills, created of different people in different places, in different ages. She still had problems with that. And it had been only a matter of time until one of them could hit the other seriously.

Sam gasped when she felt Damian's fist in her belly. Her knees weakened and she fell down. She suppressed the pain, and attacked his legs with her own, making him fall down as well. She jumped up quickly. It was to dangerous  to fight on the floor. He could pin he beneath him, using his weight. _'I'm not THAT stupid.'_

Damian got up, now more slowly than the last time. Both opponents were breathing hard.

Damian's bottom lip was bleeding. Sam already had quite a colourful eye.

_'I have to change my tactics.' "Not bad little girl. You are really not bad. But do you really think it's enough to beat me? I will win. You know it, and I know it. And after that I will take care of the rest of your friends. They will go, one by one. And I will take a special care of your beloved cousin and your pet, Nat." _'That should break her calmness.'__

Sam's eye grew cold when she heard his threats. With a fast movement she was behind him. She wrapped her arm around his neck and whispered. "Nobody threatens my family. Be careful. You may not be able to control the forces you call."

Damian tried to elbow her, but she was already gone, and he felt her elbow in his belly. Then her fist hit his face hard.

Sam suppressed a gasp. Her fist hurt. She tried not to show pain in front of her enemy. Suddenly she felt his fist in her back.

The fight became more and more violent. Both were covered with bruises after a while. They became tired and exhausted. Their movements were slower and suddenly none of them was able to fight anymore. Both were lying on the floor, gasping for air.

Sam was the first who recovered enough to speak. "Who won?"

"No one."

"I can't accept that." She struggled to get back on her feet.

Damian stared at her. _'How can she get up? If her body hurts only half as much as mine, she shouldn't be able to do this. I know I hit her hard. Stubborn bitch.'_

Finally Sam was standing again. The whole world was turning around her. She blinked and made a step towards Damian.

"Enough."

Sam needed a time to react. She stared confused at Damian. "You give up?"

Damian cursed silently and answered. "Yes. I give up. You are crazy. You can't be human. How on earth can you still stand?"

Sam was about to fall on the floor again, but she needed to know it exactly. "You will leave Moana to me and my friends. You will not harm her. That was the arrangement."

"Yes," said Damian with clenched teeth. He only wanted a healer and a bed. _'Not as funny as I thought. Oh gods, I wont be able to eat properly for a while.'_ He rubbed his jaw carefully. He heard a noise next to him. He grinned weakly when he saw Sam lying on the floor again.

She looked at him and finally seemed to feel as bad as he did. "I only have one question."

He groaned. "WHAT?"

"How do we get to our bedchambers?"

Damian blinked surprised. "I don't know."

"Maybe we should have told somebody where we are. All we can do now is wait."

Damian stared in her eyes again. "Why don't you hate me?"

Sam raised her eyebrows.

Damian cleared his throat. "I attacked you and your friends since you arrived. Each of your friends hate me. Why not you? Here you are, lying on the floor, beaten up by me. And we are chatting as if we were ... friends."

 Sam looked tiredly at him. "None of my friends knows what REAL hatred is. You are just a fool, Damian. You think you can stop a development which can't be stopped anymore."

Damian felt anger rising in him.

"Do you really think you will survive the Chamber of Ordeal? Do you really think your behaviour is the behaviour of a knight? Why do you want to be a knight Damian? When do you want to start acting like a knight? How can I hate someone who will be killed because of his own stupidity and ignorance? I am not the right person to judge you. There is something more powerful which will do it."

Damian didn't know how to answer. He felt so tired. He closed his eyes and waited for someone to find them.

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I HATE FIGHTING SCENES! Can you imagine how difficult it is to describe something like that in a foreign language? The vocabulary we learn at school is not about violence. At least not that detailed.

I hope I did a good job. Of course the idiot I promised fighting scenes in one of the earlier chapters. I guess insanity runs through my family.

And this time it is not a real cliffy. I hope at least.

Tell me what you think about it.


	20. A new victim

I am really, really, REALLY sorry that it took so long this time. Mainly because I had a nasty writer's block. And I had and still have to learn for school, because I have an English test this week. And additionaly my friend had her birthday party this weekend, which I am still trying to recover from. (I could sleep the whole day. No joke.)

And I had to rethink the story again. (Sometimes I wonder if it's me who creates the story or if the story develops itself.)

The main story will remain the same, but I had to think about the personalities and the relationships of my characters. It's my first fanfic and I want it to be good. But I have to warn you. The last two weeks I was thinking mainly about the romantic parts in this story and how to integrate them. And if it goes like I want, it will be ... difficult, terming it carefully. I was in a melancholic mood while thinking about it. So you all have been warned.

But don't worry I will finish this fanfic. I hate it myself when I read a story and the author stops writing. I will have some holidays next week, so I shall be able to write more, I hope.

**Lady of Faith:   In Cori's and Bery's case there are no other males in their families who could be heirs to the fiefs. Their brothers died during the last wars. Danny and Ria aren't heiresses of their parent's fief. It's Aaron in this case. Sam ... well, you will see. I only say that Lord Victor has no descendants. Why he choses her and not her cousins? That's part of her secret. You will have to wait.    I am thinking about a sequel of this story. But I will first finish this one. Maybe I will get other ideas for fanfics. I don't know yet. But every story I write down will have at least as much action as this one. And many secrets! Otherwise I would get bored myself.**

**Dream Dance:   I haven't thought about that yet. Maybe I will get an idea of how to integrate her. But I can't promise anything. The story will go on through their years as squires, and the showdown will be after they are knights already. I just don't know how detailed I will describe their time as squires.**

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Chapter 20:                                            **A new victim**

Sam was sitting on her bed. She had never felt so tired since ... well ... yesterday. She had a really hard time actually. After she and Damian had been found in the lonely hall by some servants, both unconscious, the traditional "I fell down"- story didn't work very well. Lord Padraig had been quite shocked how violently the two young pages had attacked each other. So he decided that both needed more activities, because they had too much time to start stupidities. Four months of punishment. They had to work in the stables and help the servants in turns. Both had to serve Lord Padraig during the meals, and they both had additional lessons of etiquette with Master Oaksbridge.

Sam didn't know who had been more impressive. Lord Padraig with his two and a half hour speech about the life of a noble, duty of a knight, the right behaviour of a page and rules in general, and why they had to be followed.

Or Nat with his "I knew it was a bad idea and I told you so"- speech, explaining to her how stupid she had been, how badly it could have ended, she should have taken him with her and so on. Towards the end of the whole thing, it became more and more emotional and Sam calmed Nat down a bit. But he still watched her and Damian carefully, as if they would try it again at every moment.

But in her personal opinion the worst had been the "discussion" with Cori. Sam's ears had been ringing hours after that. Cori could have an impressive voice, if she wanted. Well, that was more frightening than impressive. She didn't listen to any logical argument when she was in that mood.

The funniest thing had been the letter from her uncle, explaining the importance of not being caught.

Sam had thought that after the fight Damian would let her be, but after talking to his friends and his father he felt humiliated and wanted revenge for being beaten by a girl. At the beginning he had seen an intruder in her, then a worthy opponent, but now he started to hate her for being the reason that all people who were important to him thought he was a weakling, unworthy of his name and family. He started to play dirty little tricks to her, but he never challenged her for an open fight again. He would find something to let her suffer. He knew he only had to wait to find her weakness and then his time would come.

Now the punishment was nearly done. It would be Midwinter soon, and some weeks after that the four months were over. Sam was looking forward to the moment she would be free again. It was really difficult to combine her normal duties, her extra duties and her special training with her friends. But she actually didn't worry much about it.

She was worried about Mo. The girl had been acting strange around her after the fight. They had talked about it, and Mo seemed to understand her reasons, although the wasn't happy being one of them without knowing it and without having the chance to fight on her own. But something seemed to bother her. Sometimes Sam caught the girl staring at her with a strange expression on her face. _'There is something wrong. I can't force her to talk to me. If she wants to talk about it, she will herself.'_

Sam stretched her muscles. _'Oh how great is it to be a knight in training. I know now why nobody writes songs about the glorious lives of pages. Not even a songwriter can find something glorious in this.'_

She got up and fetched some oils from her table, which should help her muscles to relax. Galina had left plenty of herbs and fluids for her health. They were quite powerful. She didn't use them too often, because she didn't want to waste them if it wasn't necessary. She preferred giving them to her friends when they had some encounters with Damian's friends. The whole conflict had become more and more heated after the fight.

_'Well done. Instead of solving the problem I made it even worse.'_ Sam thought as she massaged her muscles. She groaned silently when she felt them relaxing. _'It's great when it stops hurting. At least the whole punishment thing seems to be an addition to my training ... well, at least the stable duty. If I survive the whole thing I will have stronger muscles than before. Helping the servants isn't easy, too. If only I could get rid of these damned etiquette lessons. Master Oaksbridge is the most unnerving person I ever met. He will have a heart attack sooner or later if he goes on like that. I will never ever have problems with my behaviour at court again. I know that blasted etiquette literature by heart now. And if I ever have to dance with Damian again something serious will happen. He steps on my feet on purpose, I swear!'_

She looked out of the window, watching the snow fall_. 'I wish I could celebrate midwinter with my people again. Their feasts are different from those here. I don't think I like the officials festivities at court. At least it wont be as deadly boring as last year. Now I will have to serve. One wrong move and Master Oaksbridge will get my head. I guess I should sleep now. Stable duty is waiting for me before breakfast. Oh, how I love being a page!'_

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It was an early morning in the spring. The air was filled with the sound of a sword fight. Their owners fought at a quick pace and it seemed more like a dance than a fight. Each of them holding two swords, trying to use them at once without loosing control over them. After a while, one of the fighters was able to wrest one sword from her opponent's hand with her left sword, pressing the blade of her right sword at his throat at nearly the same time. "I guess you are dead."

Nat glared at Sam. "Thank you for mentioning it. I told you that I am not used to this way of fighting. I started it during the time I spent at your home. You have practised it your whole life. I am not an adequate opponent for you. You seem to like putting blades at my throat."

Sam lowered her swords and grinned. But you are very good for somebody who just started with it. But you have to understand that you are the only one here who can fight in this style with me. And you are getting better. Your throat is your weak point. Do you know what went wrong this time?"

Nat frowned. "You mean except being a bad fighter?"

Sam rised one eyebrow. "Don't ever say something like that again. It is not true. Your fault is you still don't use your left sword properly. You could have protected your throat with it."

Nat moaned. "I know. It's so damn hard thinking of both at once. My body doesn't move like I want it to."

"You will have to learn to use every single part of your body independently from the others. Each of them is a weapon. You will learn it with time and practice. But I think it's enough for today."

"Yes. The others will soon arrive. You are lucky that your punishment is over now. You seemed tired and exhausted those past months."

"Well, I knew the consequences. The only thing that bothers me is Damian's behaviour. He really enjoys being nasty now."

"Has he ever been different?"

Sam looked at her friend. She knew what he had gone thought because of Damian and his friends. But didn't anybody see the change the boy went through? He had always been a bully, that was right. But he only did it because of the challenge and for a sick kind of fun. But now he treated everybody around him like dirt. And the tricks he played on the others were dirty, mindless and childish. Sam refused to believe that Damian was a bad person. In her opinion, there were only very few people who deserved to be called bad. Everybody has at least one good side. She wasn't able to hate Damian for being himself. She had no right to judge him. She refused giving up the hope that he might change someday. But she wasn't sure if anybody else would think the same. She heard the others coming to the training court and decided not to talk about her opinion of Damian with Nat. He was sensible with that subject, although he would never admit it.

Mo was looking nervously at her opponent. _'Well done! Of course it had to be her. I don't think I stand a chance.'_

The two opponents watched each others movements carefully, each of them looking for a whole in the others defence. Suddenly Sam started a quick attack, which was easily blocked by Mo. _'No. You don't get me that easy.' Mo started an attack by herself. After some punches she found herself on the floor, blinking in surprise. She looked confused at the hand Sam offered her to get up. "How ... ?"_

"You lose your temper when you fight. But beside that you are really good. Your skills have developed very fast. I'm impressed."

Mo glared at Sam. She knew that the other girl was rare with compliments. Sam had never seemed to like her. She was sometimes so unfeeling and cold. _'Maybe because of her past. If only I could talk to somebody about it. But it feels like betrayal. If this is her secret, I have no right to tell it anybody.'_ Mo had tried to talk to Sam, but she always hesitated at the last moment and changed her mind. She wasn't able to face those unreadable moss green eyes, which seemed to look straight to her soul. She shivered, coming back to reality. She noticed Sam still offering her hand to her. She took it and slowly got up. "T...thank you."

Sam only nodded and went away. It was time for breakfast now.

Mo watched her leave with Nat, as usual. _'Maybe she isn't like she seems to be. I think everybody would act strange if he had to fear for his life. But the most irritating thing is that she doesn't seem to be afraid of anything.' Mo slowly shook her head and walked towards Feli. She was hungry and wanted her breakfast. She would have time to think about Sam later on._

"I am bored." Danny moaned and kicked a little stone in the training court.

Ria raised her eyebrows. "Well then, what do you have in mind this time?"

"I don't know. I need more fun in my life. Everything is so damn serious lately."

Aaron grinned at his sister. "Well, who are we paying attention to this time?"

Ria thought about it. "Maybe somebody we haven't tricked yet?"

The triplets traded a look. Each of them knew whom the others were thinking about. "Let's see how smart Sam really is."

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I know it's not my longest chapter ever, but not my shortest, too. I hope you like it.


	21. Pink

Chapter 21                                             **Pink**

"DANNY! RIA! COME ON!" Bery knocked heavily at the sisters' doors. "WE WILL BE LATE TO TRAINING! EVERYBODY IS WAITING FOR YOU!"

Sam and Cori traded a look. Bery seemed to develop the temper of a commander. But she was right. It was time to go to meet the boys to get their daily morning training. Feli and Mo watched the whole scene in front of them with tired eyes.

Sam looked at Cori again. "Bery is getting the same impressive voice as you. Do you two train in secret?"

Cori glared daggers at her cousin. "I. Do. Not. Shout. Like. That."

Mo and Feli turned around, complete disbelief in their faces.

Suddenly Feli started to giggle. "No, that's right. You are louder when you are angry."

"Hey! That's not true."

Mo looked slyly at her. "I'm surprised that you haven't broken any glass yet. Your voice is high enough."

Feli grinned. "Well, if I remember correctly her little mirror is broken."

Cori stared at her sister. "It fell down."

"Of course." Feli grinned even more.

Mo and Sam chuckled lightly.

Cori glared at her friends and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Oh, wait until we get to the training court!"

Suddenly they heard Danny shouting from inside her room. "Go without us. We will come soon."

Bery grumbled furiously. "FINE!" She turned around. "We. Go . Now." And walked quickly away.

The other girls stared surprised at her and followed after a moment.

"I was told that the Lioness has an equal temper."

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It was early in the morning. He wasn't able to sleep anymore. So he was sitting here, at his desk, watching the sunrise.

Sleep was something for the innocent. Which meant it was nothing for him. He had thrown it away many years ago. But for what?

The power he had been looking for was still limited, even after all those years. He knew he had to wait until his plan developed its full potential. He knew he only had to wait and stay out of any trouble which could harm his reputation in public.

Nobody knew what he had done ... except for them. Except for the only beings who could become dangerous to him. But luckily they weren't fighters.

The man chuckled. _'Oh yes. These stupid pacifists. These pitiful cowards. I will destroy them, one by one. Maybe they have survived centuries, but they won't survive ME.' _He took a deep breath and smiled lazily.

There were only a few things missing from his complete bliss. Well, two things, if he was honest to himself.

One of these things would only be a matter of time and money. His men have been searching for years now. He knew they would be successful. He could feel it.

The other thing, well, he had already thought that he had found her once; the other half of his damned soul. The one person who should share her life with him. But the woman he had chosen was broken by the circumstances. A pity. She had been beautiful and pure, once. But now it was only a facade.

His eyes became sad. _'What I've done to get her. And now it was completely useless.' _He shook his head to clear his thoughts. _'Don't think about it. You have a goal. And you will do anything to reach it. ANYTHING!'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Danny and Ria peeked out of their rooms, grinning at each other. "Showtime!"

Silently they closed their doors behind them and moved towards Sam's room. From a corner in the shadows, Aaron joined them. The fact that the girls had their own corridor which couldn't be entered that easily helped the triplet now. There was no magic spell to lock the door. The three siblings opened the door quietly, entered the room and closed the door behind them. They looked around curiously. They noticed immediately that the main colour of this room was green. Not only the blankets, carpet and some of the furniture. This room was full of plants. At the window, on the table, even some ferns in the shadows. Between these plants there were some crystals, most of them green, but also some in different colours. This room had a mystic atmosphere which caused the triplets to shiver a bit.

Danny was the first to recover from it. "Ok. I guess we'll start now. We have to be fast. Otherwise the others will be suspicious and return before we have finished."

Aaron and Ria nodded and each of them started to look around the room to find something which could bring them some fun.

Aaron looked at Sam's books and shook his head. "That's really dry theoretical stuff. How can she read this?"

Danny looked up from the desk and looked at her brother. "What are those books about?"

"Mhm. There are some about magic, history, plants, crystals, and ... etiquette. There is a book with the title 'How to heal without the Gift'. Oh and here, 'How to run a fief'. Strange girl. Really strange."

Ria looked at the plants and crystals in the room. "I heard her uncle is very strict. Maybe she has to read that stuff." She suddenly felt much more uncomfortable and murmured: "I don't know if it's right what we are doing here."

Her siblings looked surprised at her.

Ria blushed a bit and murmured. "Forget about it. I'm just paranoid."

Danny shook her head and said. "Well, we don't have much we can work with. No diary or stuff like that. Because of the fact that she will beat our asses mercilessly if we exaggerate, we will only annoy her a few days. Do you agree?"

Her siblings nodded in agreement. Danny was always the leader when it came to jokes and tricks.

Danny started to grin. "But I've thought about something ... special. Something we have never done before. Come on, join me. Let's do some magic."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam enjoyed the movement of her body. There were only a few moments in her life she was able to arrive at that state, a mixture of concentration and harmony. She new the movements she had to make, her body remembered and did what it was supposed to do.

"What the hell is she doing with those damned two swords? Can anybody tell me?" Robert asked, staring at Sam who made a strange dance with two swords in her hands.

"She's training." Cori didn't even look at him while answering.

"Oh, really?" Robert replied sarcastically. "And what?"

"Fighting with two swords." Nat yawned.

Robert looked at Nat, Cori, Nat, Cori and finally threw his hands in the air and said. "Ok. Am I the ONLY idiot here around who wonders HOW she can fight with TWO swords at once. I don't remember being taught that here at the palace. And I've _never_, I repeat, NEVER EVER heard about it. Would you _please be so graceful as to explain this to my pitiful self, before I make myself a complete fool? I would ask her myself, but you never get a satisfying answer out of this girl. There are stones which talk more than her."_

Nat and Cori looked at their friend, inwardly grinning at his reaction. "What shall we explain to you? She is fighting with two swords. She has been taught it at home. It is a rare skill and not easy to handle."

Robert narrowed his eyes. "Why haven't I ever see her training like this before?"

"She does it when she is alone or when she's practising with Nat or me." Cori answered bored.

Robert blinked surprised. "Nat can also fight with two swords."

Nat shook his hands. "I've just started. I'm not very good at it. Cori has practised for two years now. She's better."

"Not when you go on like that. I think you will surpass me soon." Cori smiled at him.

Nat blushed at bit. He still wasn't used to compliments.

Robert stared at the two. "Is there anybody except me who doesn't know how to fight with two swords? I'm starting to feel like an outsider."

Cori chuckled. "No, no. Don't be afraid. It's only Sam, Nat and me. Oh and Feli, of course. Bery tries it, but she doesn't like it very much."

Robert rubbed his forehead. "Ok that's it." He walked towards Sam, who had finished by that time. "Teach me."

Sam blinked in surprise. "Pardon?"

"Teach me how to fight with two swords. Please."

Sam looked surprised at Robert. Then at Nat and Cori. She noticed that the whole training group was listening. _'I shouldn't have trained in public. Now I have this mess. Well, I guess I can't change that now.' She sighed. "Fine." She looked around. "Anybody else? I must warn you, I am not an easy teacher." _

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Galina was starring at the huge forest below her. She was home, standing on top of the holy mountain. It had been difficult to get back here without leaving a track back to the girl she had visited.

She was worried, although her face showed no sign of it. She could feel the danger coming towards them. She knew that it was only a matter of time until the storm would break out.

She felt the wind playing with her loose white hair. She still remembered the time it had been black. She had been another woman at that time. Her life had been easy compared to her actual situation.

_'But it is nothing compared with Samira's situation.' She felt sorry for the little girl. Well, she was not that little anymore. Galina still remembered how she had been when her parents were alive. She still remembered the day Allister had told her that his beloved wife had given birth to a daughter. He had been so proud of his little girl._

Galina smiled. But it was a sad smile. He was a good man. And how he had loved his children, his daughter and his little son, born two years after Sam.

Sam had the look of her mother and the character of her father. Ilja had the look of his father and the sensible and innocent character of his mother. Maybe that was the reason he had to die at the age of three, instead of his sister. He didn't have her strength. He wouldn't have beared the loss of his parents. But when Galina thought about it, Sam hadn't beared it well either.

Galina sighed sadly. She was worried. Sam took the path of violence. Galina had known that this would happen when the girl was sent to her uncle. But it had been the only possibility, and it still was.

'Maybe it was the right choice. She will need all the strength she can gain. She will need all the fighting skills she can learn. He is still searching for the sword. I don't think that he knows that she is alive. Yet. But it is only a matter of time. He knows that the sword has a keeper, and he has send his men all over the world  to find it. If he finds her, she will be lucky if he just kills her.'

Galina shook her head and whispered: "We are dying. I can feel it. If nothing happens, we will be gone soon. Oh Great Mother Oak, why have you left us? Why have you left me? You don't send me visions anymore. How can I decide what to do if I'm unaware of the consequences of my choices? I'm not a leader. I'm only the Priestress."

She closed her eyes. _'I can feel Sam's power. She will get her magic back. It wont be long until she has all her power back. She will be stronger than ever. But she won't be able to hide anymore. Is that the reason why she had lost it in first place? Was it an act of protection? I hope it will last long enough until she is able to defend herself against him. If not, the consequences will be horrible. Not only for us and herself, but also for everybody around her. Maybe he will challenge the king of Tortall. When he has the sword, when he gets rid of us, he will want to prove his strength to the whole world. The Tortallan king is strong. He has the Dominion Jewel on his side. But even this won't help him against the enemy who is waiting for him. Only she can face him successfully. I hope it at least.'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam looked around curiously. She was back in her room. Everything seemed all right. But she felt that something had happened here while she were gone. _'Damned triplets. What can they have done in ten minutes time? If they think that I don't know that they want to trick me, they are more than stupid. The looks they gave me when they finally arrived, as if they wanted to laugh at me at every minute.'_

Sam couldn't figure out what the triplets had done to her room and shrugged. 'Time will show me. Oh, wait until I get you in my hands if it is as bad as I think it is.'

She turned around to leave. When she touched the handle she felt something soft and wet on her palm. She moaned annoyed. _'Great. I expected more from them.' She looked at the strange yellow paste in her hand. __'It smells strange. What the hell is it?'_

Much to Sam's discomfort the smell didn't vanish. Not even after trying to wash it away. It even seemed to get stronger with time. After a while, the other pages watched her curiously. She heard some mutter: "You should think that girls know when it is time to wash."

The triplets acted wisely, not to get in Sam's way.  But Sam still had the feeling that there was more waiting for her.

Next morning.

Sam was in a very bad mood. The smell of that paste had finally vanished. That was a good thing. The bad thing had been the sand in her bed, keeping her awake. She wasn't very attentive because she was still half asleep.

When Sam put on her boots she suddenly froze. "Hell no!" She had the same paste in her shoes now. _'How did it get there? Everybody will smell my feet now. Great. Oh, meet me alone, you three little snakes. I swear you will pay for that. I guess the sand was there to make me tired so I wouldn't notice the paste until it was too late. And it worked. These kids have to much time to think about nonsense.'_

Sam's day was more horrible than the last. The smell was stronger than yesterday, and the source being her feet made the whole thing worse. She was the joke of the day. _'Strange I don't meet my dear little friends now. Cowards. Don't expect me to cool down when you hide long enough.'_

Next morning.

Sam awoke to a smell more horrible than the last. She sat up in her bad, trying to find the source. _'That smells like a dozen of the heaviest perfumes mixed together. Where is it coming from ... Oh no!'_

The source was her wardrobe. All her clothes seemed to be soaked with the most intense perfumes ever produced.

Sam rubbed her forehead. _'Why don't I simply go back to bed? Every time I wake up, the old smell is gone ... and replaced by a new one. How are they doing this? They must be using magic.'_

Cori looked worried at her cousin who glared daggers at everybody staring at her. Her eyes told everybody to shut the hell up or she would beat him here and now with no mercy.

Nobody complained anymore that Sam showed no emotions. She now showed clearly what she felt: anger. First, she had been teased that she tried to hide her enormous foot smell. But now most of the pages wished that they could get the old Sam back. She had been quite aggressive the past two days, but now she was the most feared training partner at the lessons. She used all her force and laid all her anger in every strike. And when she was teased she paid it back verbally as well.

Even the triplets had gotten something of it. Aaron had the bad luck to be one of Sam's training- partners. He could tell now that she really knew where to hit a boy.

That evening, Sam felt really exhausted when she arrived at her room. She had beaten the promise out of Aaron that the smell would be gone tomorrow and that there would no longer be any other smell attacks.

She had a hard time falling asleep. _'I can't understand why on earth the noble ladies at court wear this willingly. I can't imagine that this makes you more attractive to a man.'_

After quite a peaceful night with no sand in her bed, Sam slowly opened her eyes. She blinked surprised, rubbed her eyes and tried to find out what was wrong with them. "No. That ... that can't be ... oh my gods. I will kill them."

Her whole room was pink. Even her clothes, books and plants.

When Sam shook her head furiously she noticed something else. Her hair. The most horrible and intense shade of pink she had ever seen belonged to her hair.

She growled dangerously. "That's it. They are dead!"

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Well, what do you think? I'm not sure if the tricks of the triplets are that funny for you. I'm not very good at playing tricks on others. I once tried at school with one of my teachers when I was about nine years old. It was a disaster. I never tried it again.

I was quite busy this week. I've replaced chapter 1 till 19. My friend has corrected these chapters for me and now there are less mistakes. But I haven't changed the story itself, don't worry.

By the way, I've finally found out how to send E-Mails again, although my computer still isn't very co-operative. If anybody wants me to send  an E-Mail when I've updated, tell me in your reviews.

**Silver Raven:   In my children name book Aidan is a name for girls. It's meaning is, according to the book, "little fire". Maybe it's wrong, but that is what I thought was right when I named my character. And I must confess that I really like the name.**

**Lady of Faith:   I hope you know that Cori's parents aren't dead. Only her brother died. And Bery's mother is still alive, too. Her father died, and so did her brothers. I mention this just in case. [About the cull-thing: I had difficulties to figure the meaning out myself. (I had to ask my dictionary with limited success) And do I have to know who Donny is?]**

After the fun I had with the first one I would like to start another poll. ^_^

1     For which persons do you want a detailed description about their experience in the Chamber of the Ordeal?

2     Who do you think will be a couple with whom when they are older? I've already planned three couples which will consist of people already mentioned in this fic. Who do you think they are?

3     What do you think will happen to our "three friends"? (Damian, Kajus, Ruben)

4     Does anybody want me to tell the meanings of the names of my characters and why I've picked them? Or is this not interesting for you? (I'm interested in such things, but I don't want to bore you.)

I'm looking forward to your answers.


	22. Ria's accident

Salut mes amis! ^_^

(For all who don't know this is French: Hello my friends!)

I saw this in some other fanfics and I think it could be helpful to understand this chapter, just in case:

"speech"

'thoughts'

*mysterious voice in Sam's dreams*

~ triplets speaking mind to mind~

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Chapter 22:                                            **Ria's accident**

"DANNY! RIA! AARON!" Cori woke up by a furious voice. She blinked and tried to wake up completely. She knew this voice, but she never had heard her scream like that. "Oh, no. Sam. She's angry. The triplets can plan their funerals. I wonder what it is this time."

She jumped out of her bed and quickly got dressed. _'I do not want to fight in my night-gown, and I guess somebody has to hold back Sam.'_

She heard some angry screams outside her door and some confused voices asking: "What's the matter?"

When Cori got outside she noticed that Danny was pinned at the wall by a familiar person with ... pink hair? Cori blinked. Then she pressed her palm against her mouth and started to giggle. In front of her Sam was standing in the red pages' uniform with pink hair ready to kill poor Danny.

Next to Cori Bery was leaning at her door- frame with a satisfied look on her face. She once had a little ... rendezvous with some spiders in her bed and was still a bit mad at the triplets.

Feli and Mo were standing next to Bery laughing.

Ria peered out of her room, fright written on her pale face.

Cori couldn't control herself anymore and burst out in laughter.

Meanwhile Danny became really frightened. Sam had started to growl like a wild animal, ready to kill its prey. "Sam? Sam! Oh please calm down! It was just a joke!" Sam growled louder. Danny started to sweat. _'Next time when somebody is shouting my name furiously, I must remember not to open the door. I hope there will be a next time. Oh my gods, she's even too angry to speak.'_ Danny wanted to look around, wanted to cry for help, but she couldn't move her eyes. Sam's eyes seemed to glow. The green became more intense; the golden spots seemed to glitter. Danny started to tremble.

Suddenly Sam began to speak her voice silent and dangerously calm. "You will take the spell off me. Now."

Danny gulped. "I ... I can't. It's a spell that lasts one day. It can't be taken back..."

Sam growled again and moved her face nearer to Danny's, noses only inches away. "Wrong answer."

Danny shivered. She never heard Sam talk like that. Her voice was deep and dangerous. Suddenly she was thrown at the floor, and she heard her sister yelp. She looked up and saw Ria caught by Sam. She hadn't been careful for one second, and Sam had taken the chance to get her out of her room. She was thrown next to her sister and both looked up at a fuming Sam, who had her arms crossed before her chest and was looking down on them, jaw clenched.

The sisters looked at each other and Danny spoke to her sister, mind to mind. _~ Why don't we fight back? We are two, she is just one.~_

Ria shuddered. _~ You can try if you want. Without me.~_

Sam frowned and growled again. "Call your brother."

The sisters looked up surprised. "He is a bit far away t..."

"DON'T THINK THAT I'M STUPID!"

The sisters stared at Sam, eyes wide.

"I know you can speak through your Gift to him. I've watched you three. You have the power to create illusions, like that with my hair, and to speak mind to mind. And you are using your Gift to play tricks on people. But you have chosen the wrong victim. I was really patient. But now it's enough. Who do you think I am? How dare you come in my room and manipulate it with your magic. How can you dare use something powerful like magic for such childish tricks?"

Both girls gulped. _~ Oops. We are in trouble. AARON!~_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He was in a dark chamber, deep under his castle. Only few people beside him knew of it. Here he went to get the answers he needed. He couldn't do it very often, because the power he called would kill him, but from time to time it was necessary.

Like now. He needed answers to his questions. He needed the location of the sword and its keeper. He needed it as fast as possible. He had waited for almost seven years now. His men couldn't just search the whole world. That way he wouldn't get the sword back in this millennium, not to speak about this lifetime.

He sighed and took a dagger, cutting the palm of his left hand.

"I call you, dark forces, obey me. Show me the way, show me the time, show me the place. I called you, you obey me, show me. Show me my deepest desire. Take my soul and show me my birthright."

His blood dropped in a bowl and mixed with the strange liquid in there. The man took a candle and enflamed the mixture. The dust reached his nostrils and he went into a trance.

"Show me. Show me the sword. Show me the keeper. Show me where they hide. SHOW ME!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The boys were already at the fighting yards, practising the moves Sam showed them the day before. She was a very strict teacher. Every movement had to be perfect. It seemed almost religious to her.

They made some test fights. Lachran against Milan, Robert against Nat and Quentin against Aaron.

Suddenly Aaron went pale. "Holy shit! We are dead."

The other boys stopped immediately, looking confused at him.

Nat raised his eyebrows. "What? Who is dead?"

Aaron gulped. "Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to play tricks on HER."

Lachran sighed. "Fine, boy, what have you done?"

Robert looked at the guilty face of the younger page. "Wait a minute. That's strange. Why are you thinking of this being a mistake at this moment? I mean, you haven't even seen her yet. You don't know how mad she is."

Nat frowned. He remembered something Sam had told him once. "Aaron. Did your sisters tell you something?"

The other boys looked surprised at him.

Milan shook his head. "Nat. They aren't here yet. They haven't met him..."

Nat smirked. "Sam told me something before she lost her magic. She said that she can feel everybody's special aura, that's why she always knows to whom of the triplets she is actually speaking, but there must be more, because she still knows it. And she told me that the triplets shared a deep bond to each other, mentally and magically, and that it would be possible that they could speak mind to mind to each other with time. And according to Aaron's sudden mood change they have achieved this goal. I think his sisters have called for help, or something like that. I know how furious Sam can get when she is really pissed. Better go boy, and fix it quickly. You are still recovering from her last outburst."

Aaron went even paler than before and ran to his sisters.

The other boys just stared at Nat.

Robert went towards him and took a better look. "First of all: Who are you and where have you hid Nat?"

Nat frowned at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Robert simply stared at him. "That was the longest speech you gave to someone who was not Sam."

Nat rolled his eyes. "Sorry I confused you. I promise I will never do it again."

Quickly Lachran joined the conversation. "No, no, it's fine. You can talk as much as you want Nat. Really! We don't mind at all." He stopped when he noticed Nat staring oddly at him. "Hmmm. Can anybody help me? I'm just making a fool of myself, aren't I?"

Nat closed his eyes and shook his head. _'I told Sam that it was a bad idea. I knew they would act strange when I changed my behavior towards them.'_

Quentin cleared his throat. "How can you be that sure that they really talk mind to mind."

Nat opened his eyes and gave him a tired look. "I'm used to watching people. And when three people act like they are having a conversation without saying a word, and when these three people are little mages sharing a strong bond, it is the an obvious conclusion. By the way, I didn't really know it, I more guessed. Aaron has betrayed himself by admitting it to me."

"Remind me never to play cards with you." Quentin shook his head. "That explains a lot. That's why they never get caught. They warn each other magically. Not bad. Really not bad."

The boys shook their heads.

Nat looked at them and sighed. "Okay, who wants to see Sam beating some sense into those three? I'm going to watch the show. It could be amusing. By the way I'm interested in the trick they played this time. Must be something huge." He turned around and left the boys behind.

Milan blinked surprised and whispered to Lachran. "I don't get it. It was scary enough when he started to talk with us at all, but now we are having something you can call a whole conversation. Normally he only talks to Sam. Do you remember before she arrived he hardly spoke whole sentences?  He must be bewitched, a Zombie or something like that."

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Galina started to tremble heavily. She could feel it. He was using the forbidden powers again. He searched for her again.

Quickly she got up from her bed and ran into the sanctuary. She fetched a knife and cut into her left palm.

"I call you, almighty forces of light, help me. Show me the way, show me the time, show me the place. I called you, please help me, show me. Show me the way to protect my kind. My soul is all yours."

Her blood dropped in a crystal bowl and mixed with the white sand in there. The she enflamed it and went into a trance when the smoke reached her nose.

"Help me. Help me hide the sword. Help me hide the keeper. Help me hide them from the darkness. HELP ME!"

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After letting her have some fun with the triplets, Cori and Feli had persuaded Sam to calm down a bit. It had been helpful that the triplets were at least able to fix her hair. Her room was another thing.

"Normally your hair shouldn't had been involved. I can't explain it. Although it is a good trick." Danny shut up when Sam growled at her again. _'I hope she stops acting like a wild beast. It was only a simple joke, damn. But she has to freak out completely. But if she thinks we are done with her, she's wrong.'_

Bery seemed disappointed. "Hey! That's not fair. I thought I would see a really good beating, and now ... nothing. That's boring. Come on Sam. I want to see their blood."

The triplets paled and stared at Bery, who smirked at their facial expressions. _'It's fun to make them tremble. I'm starting to like being evil.'_

Nat smirked at Bery and said. "I completely agree with you. Come on Sam, you have trained your whole life, you can do better than this."

Sam looked at the two new allies and decided to go with the game. "Do you think so? Now that you mention it, I remember some punches I haven't tried yet on human beings. You know that I like practising on living targets."

The triplets stared at them with shock.

Cori shook her head. "Ts, ts, ts. Really Sam, I didn't think you were that aggressive. But if it helps you, should we hold them for you or do you prefer to hunt them down."

The triplets seemed to be in total shock. Even Cori turned against them.

Sam seemed to think really seriously about that. "Hunting sounds interesting. But I'm still tired from the whole experience with the sand in my bed. Can't we just split them up? You hold one, and the others will run away. But what about the third?"

Bery had a hard time holding back her laughter. The faces of the triplets were priceless.

Aaron looked at his sisters. _~ Something is wrong here. I think they are playing with us.~_

Ria frowned and nodded. _~ Yeah! I agree with you. What will we do now?~_

Danny grinned lightly. _~ Show them who they are messing up with.~_

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He started to become really angry. _'This bitch. She tries to block me again. Damn her. If I get her in my hand I will break the tiny bones off her, one by one.'_

He started to concentrate even more, pushing all his power in his spell. "SHOW ME!"

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Ria tried to be as calm as possible_. 'Of course it had to be me! Damn siblings! Of course I had to be the youngest of us. And now I'm the stupid one who has to do this to Sam. I am dead. More than dead.'_

Silently she opened Sam's door. The pink was still there. It wouldn't vanish till midnight.

'Yeah, great idea. This morning she nearly killed us for colouring her room, now it's evening, she can come back from the library at any minute, and I have to do that stupid joke to her.'

Suddenly Ria froze in the middle of the room. She saw something strange. _'How is this possible? Everything in this room is coloured pink except for this chest there. Why is that?'_

She walked towards it and too a better look. _'Strange, no lock.' She tried to open it, but without success. 'Magic, maybe? Hmm. Let's see if little Ria can't handle this.'_

She concentrated on her Gift, breathing deep. Than she forced her power on the chest.

Suddenly she felt a pressure slamming her onto the wall. She stared at the chest in horror. It started to glow green. A breathtaking power was building up in the room.

Ria's eyes became wide in shock. _'Oh gods, what have I done?'_

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Galina started to grin. _'She is out of danger. I can block him successfully. If nothing special happens he won't be able to find her for ages.'_

Suddenly she felt something. Something horrible. "NO! No that can't ... can't be happening. Oh gods, no. They will die. They will all die. This can't be happening."

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Sam was about to finish her math homework. _'Why do I need this? I swear I will...'_

Suddenly her head snapped up. _'What the...?'_

Then she knew it. _'No! This is impossible.'_

She jumped up and ran out of the library, leaving her surprised friends behind without any explanation.

When she arrived at her room she felt it was nearly too late. She pushed the door open and ran into the room. The whole room was glowing dark green now. She saw a frozen Ria sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. 

Her chest was the source of the green light flooding this room. She started to move towards it, kneeling down in front of it and then she put both of her palms on top of it. Immediately she felt the enormous power flooding through her veins. _'I just hope I am not too late.'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He could feel it. Something powerful was there outside.

'You can try it as much as you want, Priestess. You may hinder me a bit, but when the power increases, you wont be able to stop me.'

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Finally the chest had stopped glowing. Sam was now lying on top of it, breathing heavily.

Ria trembled hard. "S...Sam? Wh...what ....?"

Suddenly Sam's head turned around to face her.

Ria gasped. She had thought she had seen Sam's worst mood in the morning ... but it was nothing compared to now. _'Her eyes are so cold ... so dangerous...'_

"Do you know what you've nearly done?" Sam's voice was only a whisper. "You could have destroyed the whole palace."

Ria gasped: "What?"

Sam slowly got up, still staring intensely at her. "This chest is a magic instrument, created to protect the things inside of it. If it is attached by magic, it destroys everything around it. You could have destroyed the whole of Corus because of your actions."

Ria just stared horrified at her.

"Now I have a problem. You are not allowed to know anything about this chest."

Ria blinked at her. "And what will you do? Sam, I can't promise you to keep my mouth shut. If this thing is really as dangerous as you say it has to be taken care of. It is to dangerous for a child like you." The girl's voice trembled.

Sam closed her eyes. She could understand the girl. She would have reacted the same way in her place. Suddenly she felt something happening inside of her ... and she lost the control over her body.

Ria looked confused at Sam, waiting for an answer.

Suddenly the girl opened her eyes. They were glowing deep green. So did her palms. She slowly walked towards her raising her hands.

Ria couldn't move, she could only stare in these inhuman green glowing eyes.

Sam kneeled in front of Ria, raising her hands up to her face. She pressed her palms at the girl's temples. "*Forget!*"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Galina started to tremble again. _'I ... I can't block him any longer. Samira! Please! Stop it! If you don't stop it, he will know where you are.'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ria blinked several times, trying to clear her view.

She raised her aching head and noticed Sam, standing in front of her. She had a strange look on her face.

Ria cursed silently. _'Damn. She caught me. I must have slipped and fell down.'_ She tried to find out how bad Sam's mood was. "Sam? Hey ... I was just ... em..."

Sam didn't move. "Out."

Ria blinked in shock. "What?"

"OUT!"

The girl jumped up and ran out of the room.

Sam slammed the door behind her. Then she fell on the floor, shaking hard_. 'What happened just there? I can't feel any magic in me. Where did it come from?'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He slowly got up grinning. He looked at a silent figure in a dark corner of the chamber.

"Call the men back. They will get new instructions."

"So you have been successful."

The man grinned even deeper. "Tell them their prey is in the Eastern Lands."

"Of course my lord." The figure left.

'Better than nothing. The Eastern Lands aren't as big as the whole world. Sooner or later the keeper will be betrayed by his actions. My time will come soon.'

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~

I hope you like it.

I will explain the meaning of the names of my characters in the later chapters. I'm not in the mood today.

One of my favourite teachers died yesterday. Nobody knew he was sick. He was on his way to the doctor and broke down. They couldn't help him anymore. He was a really great teacher. I will miss him.


	23. Guilt and Punishment

Chapter 23:                              **Guilt and Punishment**

"Were you successful?" Danny looked excitedly at her sister.

Ria blinked, confused, trying to get her thoughts clear. "What? What did you just say?"

Danny looked quite irritated now. "Ehm. Ria? I wanted to know if you prepared Sam's room as you proposed to."

Ria felt a bit dizzy at the moment. "No. I don't think so. I went inside her room, then I slipped and fell, I guess. I don't really remember. And suddenly Sam was also there, and she threw me out. She looked ... as if she ... I don't know ... I can't think clear. I have a major headache. I must have hit my head hard. I'm going to bed."

Now her sister was a bit worried. "Are you OK? Do you need a healer?"

Ria shook her head. "All I need is sleep and peace."

Danny sighed. "Fine. Then go to sleep. I think I will take care of Sam's room myself, when she has calmed down a bit."

"NO!"

Danny glared at her sister. "Pardon?"

Ria seemed shocked at the idea to play more tricks at Sam. "No more jokes. Don't go into her room again. It is wrong. We should stop. Please, promise me that you won't do anything."

Danny frowned. "Did she threaten you?"

Ria shook her head. "She only said: out. That was everything. She didn't even beat me or anything like that. But the look on her face ... Danny, please, for me. Stop it."

Danny stared at her intensely. "Well, go to bed, little sister. We will talk tomorrow. I promise not to do anything until then."

Ria nodded tiredly. "Thanks."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam looked down at her hands. "What have I done?" Her voice was just a husky whisper. "No magic. It's been one and a half years now. Master Numair has been testing me every week, since my breakdown, and he's never found anything. And suddenly there it is. But I still don't have control over it. And now ... it's gone again. Like it was before. Why? What is happening with me? It is not normal. I never heard that one of my ancestors had any problem like mine."

She closed her eyes tiredly. _'I'm so tired of this. I'm so tired. If only my sleep could give me some peace.'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**          Darkness. All around her.**

**          Screams.**

**          Then silence.**

**          Pain, blood ... one face.**

Ria woke up sweating _'What? A dream? I've never dreamed in my whole life. And now, such a horrible nightmare.'_

Her whole body trembled. _'It was so intense. It seemed so real.'_ She tried to calm down_. 'It is just a dream. Nothing more. It's still late in the night. I have to go back to sleep. I'm surprised that I can even do that with the headache I have.' _She lay back in her bed and fell immediately asleep.

          **She was running through a dark corridor.**

**          She heard noises. There was a fight.**

**          Finally she arrived at a door. She opened it slowly.**

**          She saw two men fighting with each other.    **

**          They seemed to know each other. But something was wrong.**

**          She wasn't able to see the faces of both men, only one of them.**

**          She felt danger in the air. She could hardly breathe.**

**          She wanted to shout. She wanted to warn the man with the brown hair and the moss green eyes.**

**          She didn't even know why. She had never seen him in her whole life.**

**          Not sound escaped from her lips.**

**          Suddenly everything went dark. She heard the sound of a sword cutting through flesh and **

**          bones. She heard a little boy scream. She heard a woman's cries. Then suddenly **

**          ... silence.**

**          Someone took her in his arms and ran away. She felt a pain at her backside. Then the **

**          person carrying her fell down, throwing her away.**

**          She was falling for what seemed to be an eternity.**

**          Blood all over her.**

Ria opened her eyes. She felt cold.  A coldness from deep inside herself.

Ria trembled_. 'Why? Why do I have to dream such horrible things? It's not normal ... at least for me.' _She felt like crying, but she soon found out that she wasn't able to cry.

It was still long until morning.

_'I would like to fall asleep again and forget about this ... but then the nightmares could come back.'_

So she just sat there, awake and afraid of something she didn't know and didn't understand. But soon she lost the battle and sleep claimed her again, and so did the nightmares.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam woke up in the morning, feeling the immense weight of guilt on her shoulders. _'What have I done to her. Have I stolen her memories? She didn't seem to remember what nearly happened.'_

She got up very slowly. _'I will see when I meet her. Strange things are taking place these days. And I seem to be at the centre of it. Was it really a good idea to come here? I only wanted to do at least one thing in my life I can be proud of. But everything is getting out of control now. I never wanted to have friends. I know that I can't fulfil their expectations. I won't last long. And when I'm gone, they will be sad. It hurts me to know that I will be the reason they feel pain. But I needed someone to talk to. And Cori was there, listening, understanding, and comforting. I thought one friend, especially a relative, couldn't be so bad. But then there was Bery, hurt, alone, mourning for her father and for her brothers. And I developed feelings for her as well. I helped her get stronger, and I asked my uncle to talk to her mother about her future, about her dream of being a Lady Knight.'_

Sam shook her head_. 'And then we arrived here, and I met Nat. Seeing my own pain reflected in his eyes, I wasn't able to turn away from him. And I told him things that I have only told Cori before, and nobody else. And then there were the triplets, so innocent and lively. They enjoy life in a way I have never been able to. When I look in their eyes, I see pure life, hope and happiness. And I can't close my heart to the overwhelming fire burning inside of them. Even if they play tricks on me, I can't manage not to like them.'_

Sam smiled a bit at that thought. But the smile vanished soon. _'And the others? Lachran and Milan, the sponsors of my friends. They are honest and honourable. They will help Cori and Bery when I'm gone. They won't ever leave a friend behind. How can I deny them the same feelings I have for the others? Colin, Quentin and Robert, busy sponsors of the active triplets. They'll need humour to get through this, and they have a lot of it. Humour, loyalty and a good heart. They make me laugh, inwardly, and they will never know how much. And sometimes I hate them for doing this to me. No! They cause no real hatred in me. I would miss them badly if they were gone.'_

Sam sighed, and started to get dressed. _'And how can I block Feli out of my life, with her being Cori's sister, the same positive creature, the same friendly and lovely character, and still an independent person. And Mo, my problem child. I've already fought for her without even knowing who she really was. I still don't know her very well, and I still would do the same again, and more. So much for not letting feelings develop.'_

Sam looked out of her window, watching the sun raising. _'Damian. The confused and unhappy child, not knowing where to turn. He doesn't know what's right, the things he has been told his whole life, or the way of his own heart. He fears to loose what he has by doing what he thinks is right. So he acts as he is expected to, going the way of hate and destruction, to save what he thinks his life is based on. I sometimes feel so old, thinking like that, knowing things, and not being able to help.'_

Sam's eyes became sad. _'My uncle, Lord Victor, the Hawk of Pinehollow. A broken man, somehow. Never subdued the loss of my mother, his beloved and well-protected little sister. I really love him. And I know when I'm gone, he will follow me soon. Better not to tell him too early, he couldn't bear it.'_

Sam finished with her clothes and looked in the mirror. _'Maybe I'm not afraid of the feelings I will cause my friends. Maybe I'm afraid of the feelings they cause in me. Making me unable to go, holding me back, keeping me alive. What is love? Pain? Bliss? Both of it?'_

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. _'Face it, Samira, they have beaten you. They have conquered your heart and they have revealed your own suppressed fears to you. The thing you can be proud of is not being a Lady Knight someday, but having people like them as your friends. And what will you do? Throw it all away. You will hurt them and yourself. You are heartless, you can't even cry, you can't even show your true emotions, not to yourself and not to them. Letting them go as soon as possible would be the best, for all.'_

Sam closed her eyes and lowered her head. _'But I can't. Losing them would be like dying. I can't bear that. I can't bear more pain. I am weak, and I know it. But they are all I have.'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ria, you look horrible."

"Oh, thank you Feli. You always know what to say to make someone feel better, don't you."

The girls were standing in a corner of the training yard, waiting for the boys. Ria seemed to be more pale than usual.

"I didn't slept very well. I had a number of horrible nightmares."

Cori looked sympathetically at the other girl. "Oh, that's horrible. I know how you must feel. Sam has a lot of nightmares, and she's always grumpy after it."

Sam frowned at her cousin. "You don't have to tell everybody about my sleeping habits."

Cori grinned and pointed with her thumb at Sam. "You see, grumpy."

Sam snorted.

Cori grinned even more. "What did you dream about? Sam never tells me her nightmares, but maybe it could help to talk about it."

Sam rolled her eyes and Ria smiled tiredly. "If you really want to know. I'm dreamt about death and blood. I saw men fighting, I heard people screaming and strangely, I can feel pain during the dreams."

The other girls looked rather shocked after this.

Danny gave a worried look at her sister. "What are the dreams exactly about?"

Ria sighed. "Well, I can't remember everything. But one dream I still know quite clearly. I am running through a dark corridor, and I'm hearing noises, noises of a fight. Then I enter a room, and I see two men fighting. Two men I've never seen in my whole life. I can only see the face of one man clearly; he has brown hair and green eyes. Oh, and they are fighting with two swords, like Sam is teaching us. Well, in my dream I feel that there is danger for the green-eyed man, I want to warn him, but I can't. Than everything turns dark, and I hear screams. Then I am carried away, and I feel a pain in my back, like a huge cut or something. And suddenly the person is falling down and I am falling. Then I wake up. I had this dream and another non-stop last night. I've never dreamed before. I don't know what's happening to me." She looked up. "I hope that this was an one night thing, because I don't want to dream this again."

The other girls shook their heads. "Maybe you ate something wrong."

"Maybe. But I don't know what."

Then the boys arrived and the girls turned their attention to the training.

None of them noticed how pale Sam had become and the strange looks she was giving Ria.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nat was worried. He had watched Sam the whole day. Nobody else seemed to notice the change, but something was different. He couldn't point a finger on it, but there was something wrong.

He watched her get up from her chair, ready to leave the library where the whole group was doing their homework. Everybody had to get ready for the tests. For Robert, Colin and himself it would be the last time, because this was their last year as pages.

He watched her leave the room. He knew there was something wrong. He shook his head. He wouldn't be able to go on learning, so he decided to finish for today as well. _'She needs me.'_ He got up slowly and followed the girl.

Cori watched her two friends leave. _'There's something going on here. I hope Nat can help her. Sometimes she blocks me out, like today, and I can't do anything. But maybe he'll be able to help her.'_

Nat found her sitting on a bench in the park, her head buried in her palms. _'Is she crying?'_ He stepped next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up to him. Her eyes were dry, but they had an expression of pure pain in them, which made his heart ache. He sat down next to her. "What's wrong?"

Sam just gave him a painful look and turned her head away.

Now he was really worried. She didn't even try to pretend that everything was well. She didn't even try to say something like "This is none of your business." He took her chin and turned her head to face him. "What is wrong with you? There is something bothering you. Tell me, Sam. Tell me, so I can help you." 

She stared into his eyes and whispered. "There is nothing you could do. You should go and leave me. That would be the best for you. I only hurt the people around me."

Nat frowned. "What?"

Sam looked down at her hands. "When you look at me, what do you see?"

"I see you."

Sam looked up, surprise in her eyes.

"I see all of you that you let me see, and a bit more I think."

Sam looked at him and noticed how much he had changed since she had met him for the first time. He still had his wonderful ice-blue eyes. But his sandy-blond hair had darkened, and was now nearly brown. He still had his full, sensible lips, but his other features had changed, they had become less soft and more masculine. He was growing up. His voice had changed already to a very warm and nice sound. He would be a very attractive man someday.

"It's my fault. I make all people around me unhappy."

Nat's frown deepened. "That's not true."

"You don't know what has happened. You don't know what I've nearly done."

He bent down to her, looking deep in her eyes. "Then tell me."

Sam gulped. She couldn't help but start to speak. "Ria ... she came in my room again. Yesterday. She wanted to play a trick to me. She wanted to force the chest in my room to open by using her magic. But my ancestors created this chest, and it has a spell on it that destroys everything around it when magic is done to it. It only leaves the keeper a little time to stop it, just in case it had been an accident. I came just right in time to prevent the worst. The whole city could have been destroyed. Then suddenly my magic came back. It somehow took control over me and erased Ria's memories. She doesn't even remember what she almost did. And now she is having my nightmares."

Nat looked a bit irritated, but still friendly. "Your nightmares? Are you sure?"

Sam nodded. "The pain she was feeling in her back. His sword cut me there, and I am still dream of it. She is dreaming of my memories. But I only dream of it from time to time. She had several nightmares in one night, and I am afraid it just the beginning. And it is my fault."

Nat shook his head. "No. You said you didn't have any control over your actions."

"But I should have had. It is my magic. I am supposed to control it."

Nat sighed. "And if it wasn't your magic? Maybe it is a sort of ... mechanism in the head of every keeper. You have to protect what's yours, and you have to prevent your secret from being discovered. If your life would be the price, Ria's memories are worth it."

Sam frowned. Her mind worked on an idea. "Mechanism? No ... it's not a mechanism ... it was a ... force."

Nat looked at her. She seemed to be far away, like in trance.

"It is a punishment."

Nat blinked surprised. "A punishment?"

"Yes. Ria is punished because of what she nearly did." Sam woke up from her dreamlike status. "I was a instrument. Nat, I was used to harm her." She looked down at her hands. "My hands are a source of pain, only made to hurt people."

She nearly jumped when Nat took her hands in his. He raised them to his face and kissed her palms and fingertips. Then he looked in her eyes and she was frightened by the deep love his eyes were expressing. She blushed deeply. "Wha...?"

"You've never caused me any pain. Sam, you may ignore it, but you don't cause pain in other people. You cause friendship and love. Ria might be in trouble, but she got there by herself. But do you know something?"

"What?"

"I know you will be able to help her. You have a strong will power and you can solve the problem. Your fear is just blocking you. I know you are able to do great things. And if you have any problems, come to me and I will do all I can."

Sam was deeply shocked by his actions. "Why are you doing this? Why are you saying such things?"

Nat smiled sadly. "Do you know how it is possible that I will become a knight, although my family has not enough money because of the king's punishment?"

Sam shook her head.

"I have an older sister, she is ten years older than me, and very beautiful. She married a rich man, who is willing to pay the money I need. The bad thing is that he beats her from time to time. Do you know why she decided to marry him, why she is staying with him?"

Sam shook her head.

"She wants that the name of Malven to regain its former honour. We both had a rather hard childhood, and she wants the next generation to have a better life. She hopes I can do a great deed for the crown someday. And she loves her husband, no matter what he does to her. I always blamed myself for being the reason of her misfortune. I felt so unworthy of the expectations my family set on me. But then I met you and everything changed. Both of us have inherited guilt from our ancestors and both of us are suffering because of it. But you face your destiny. You don't let others triumph over you. You fight back. You have a strength I only can dream of. The story of your life is harder than mine can ever be. So I stopped feeling pity for myself and started acting like someone worthy of your friendship."

Sam was unable to reply. He embraced her softly and whispered. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me. You changed me, made me someone better. Don't push me out of your life. I couldn't bear it. You are afraid of how I will feel when you are gone. I am afraid of what would have happened to me if I never knew you."

Sam closed her eyes and let the feeling of being protected and safe enter her heart. She trembled lightly, but for the first time in many years she felt calm and content.

Unnoticed by both of them jealous eyes where watching from behind a bush. Damian could hardly breath out his anger. _'I will find your weak point Pinehollow, and I will have my revenge for all you've done to me.'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sleep came to her with a force she didn't know it could posses. Every time her head touched her pillow, she fell asleep immediately. Three days, since the first dream, two nights full of horror. She went on dreaming of fights and blood. It seemed to be always the same man, for her only a shadow, his features unknown. And although she couldn't identify his face, she always knew it was HIM. And she was afraid of him. There had been dreams he was hunting her, dreams where he killed her friends and family. And every time she woke up, shaking in fear, she wasn't able to cry, although she knew she needed to, although she knew she would feel better crying the pain and the fear out.

Sam watched Ria, growing more and more worried. She knew the signs; she had seen them in her own face. _'I have to do something. Something quick.'_

That night Sam went to her room early, but she didn't plan to go to sleep. She had something else in mind. She would wait until Ria fell asleep and then ... well ... she would try to stop whoever was torturing her. She knew there was something out there, something inhuman, something she would have to stop.

Slowly she sat down, legs crossed, and closed her eyes. Her breath became even and she slowly put herself into a trance. She knew the thing that bothered Ria had come from deep inside of her. And that was where she started to search.

Ria stared at her bed. She knew she had to sleep, but she was afraid.

_'It will happen again. I will dream of him. Why? What has happened to me? Why do I deserve this?'_ It didn't help. She lay down, closed her eyes and fell immediately asleep.

She found herself standing in an endless field with high grass. The sky above her was dark and grey with huge clouds. At the horizon lightning was flickering. The wind was blowing heavily, she could feel its force on her skin. She turned around and noticed a figure standing there. She only saw its backside. The figure had blond hair and dark green clothes. The short hair was blowing wildly in the wind, but the person itself didn't move.

Somehow Ria felt this person was familiar to her, but she didn't recognise her. She only knew that she didn't have to fear her. Her? How did she know it was a female?

She slowly walked towards the girl, curious of what would happen.

Suddenly the girl started to speak. "A storm is coming."

Ria blinked. "I see. You should run away."

"I can't run away, I'm the centre of it."

"It's dangerous out here."

The girl turned around, green eyes locking with Ria's blue ones. "That doesn't really matter anymore."

The next moment Ria found herself in a dark hall. She started to tremble. She knew what would happen. HE was there. He would go after her. She had already had this dream several times.

A movement in front of her got her attention. A dark figure appeared and walked towards her, a sword in his right hand. Ria couldn't move, she was frozen in fear, waiting for what would happen next.

The figure raised the sword, ready to kill her. But before he could make the hit, another figure jumped between them, the girl from the field.

The fear that had frozen Ria vanished and she was able to move again. She heard the girl yell. "No! You won't hurt her. I won't allow this. You have to kill me first before you can get her."

**_*Go away! You interfere with something that is not your business anymore. *_**

"It IS my business. She is my friend. It was MY fault that she was able to wake up the chest's power. It's ME that should be punished."

**_*You are wrong, little one. She had no right to do what she did. She has to be punished or she will do it again. *_**

"No. She won't. YOU erased her memory. She doesn't even remember. You had no right to do this. You had no right to manipulate my friend."

**_*I have EVERY right. How do you think you were able to hide for such a long time? It was ME who took care of that. Many people became suspicious of you. And I silenced them. I didn't take their memories, but I made them shut up. They think it's their own decision not to talk about it, BUT it was ME. They will be free the day you wake up completely. But until then I have to protect you. *_**

"But that doesn't give you any right to torture a 12 years old girl. I will NOT ALLOW this. If I am so important to you, then obey my wishes. I understand that her memories were to dangerous, but there is no reason to punish her because of something she doesn't even remember."

**_*Deep inside of her she knows it. She will never play a trick on you again. *_**

"Then you can stop."

**_*If you wish so. But remember who is caring for your security. Your friend betrayed you. Because of her you are in more danger than ever before. Is she really worth it? *_**

"Yes."

A long silence followed.

Suddenly the dark figure disappeared.

The girl turned to Ria, pity in her eyes.

"Nobody will hunt you again in your dreams."

"Th ... thank you."

"Don't thank me. It was ..."

Ria stopped the girl's speech by hugging her. Tears in her eyes she whispered:

"Thank you ..." She hesitated. " ... Sam?"

Then she vanished, leaving Sam alone in the dark hall.

**_*I will have to silence her like all the others. Nobody will ever know what happened, until the day you are the one your are supposed to be. *_**

"It's fine, as long as she is all right."

Ria woke up, tears streaming over her face. She felt the coldness melting inside of her. She was free again. She silently cried the pain away and fell in a deep, dreamless sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Weeks passed and everything turned back to normal. At least it seemed to be normal for everybody except Sam. She had started to feel strange around the others. One part of the feeling was guilt, for being the reason they were manipulated. Another part was love, which didn't allow her to turn away from them. And she felt unhappy, because she feared to lose those who would be squires soon, especially Nat. Both of them were even closer than ever before. When they were alone, they shared their thoughts and feelings. He understood her, and she understood him. They didn't judge each other; they only listened and gave advice if it was wanted.

She knew she couldn't stop time, but she wished it would slow down a bit.

Only the fact that her sister didn't feel well had stopped Danny from playing any tricks on Sam. That was over now. She didn't plan to do anything huge or special. Only a little … sign that it would always be her who had the last word. She already had something in mind …

She moved slowly towards Sam's room. The other girls were still at the library. Two days until the tests were. She had said that she had forgotten something. She didn't have much time. She looked around carefully and quickly slipped through the door. She walked towards the bed and smirked. "Have fun, Sam."

Sam slowly walked towards her bed, stretching her tired muscles. _'The day I'm finished with those stupid studies, I'll burn these damn books.' _She chuckled at the thought. _'Sure, Sam, as if YOU would ever burn a book. Talking is one thing, doing another.'_

She undressed herself and put on her night-gown. Brushing her hair she sat down on the bed. Suddenly she stopped and looked down at her sheets. There was something moving. Carefully she took the sheet and lifted it up.

A tiny black creature was staring at her, seeming as surprised as she was. Sam blinked, then frowned. "If you lose control over your intestines in my bed we are through."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning…

Cori was cheerful as ever when she opened her cousin's door, not bothering with knocking. _'When that girl is meditating knocking doesn't help.'_

Sam wasn't meditating. She was doing some push-ups on the floor. And she was not alone.

Cori froze and stared. "Ehem. Sam? Don't freak out, but there is something on your shoulder. A mouse."

Sam continued her push-ups calmly. "I know."

Cori frowned. "OK. What is this animal doing on your shoulder?"

"Enjoying the view? How should I know?"

Cori rolled her eyes. "You know that we aren't allowed to have pets."

"This isn't a pet. It's a pest."

The mouse squeaked protesting.

"Hey, it's true."

Cori stared at them and shook her head. "Are you keeping it?"

"The question is does it stay here. It seems to have adopted me." Sam finally got up of the floor, the mouse still on her shoulder.

"What's its name?"

Sam shrugged. "Mouse?"

Cori groaned. "That is not a very creative name."

Sam shrugged again. "It's no dog, it won't obey my orders. When I call it mouse it knows who I mean."

Cori stared at her. "We will find a proper name."

"Cori, you sound as if we were a married couple."

"Hey, somebody has to take care of you."

"I can take care of myself."

"No, you can't."

"Of course I can."

"No, you can't"

"Yes I can."

"No, you can't."

"Yes I… damn Cori, why does arguing with you always a childish tendency?"

"Just give up and there will be no childish argument anymore."

Sam threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine. What do you want."

"How about … hmm … Blacky."

"Pardon?"

"That's a name, silly."

"Calling it Blacky because it is black … really creative."

"Fine. Find a better one."

"Mouse."

"Hell, no. Sam, you are manipulating the whole thing."

"It wasn't me who started this."

"Sam. A name. Quickly."

Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head. "A name you would accept. … Hhm … It has to be something … sweet and … trashy."

"Hey, that's not true."

"Of course it is."

"It's not."

"Of c… STOP THAT."

"MAKE ME."

"HOW?"

"GIVE IT A NAME."

Sam glared at Cori, then at the mouse, which seemed to follow the conversation, really interested. "How shall I call you?"

"By the way, is it a girl or a boy?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "I don't know. I didn't ask it yet."

"Look what it is."

"Never."

"Come on, don't be a chicken."

"This conversation becomes more and more annoying."

"Than make it quick so we can finish it."

Sam took the mouse carefully and looked at the important place.

"You have to squeeze there."

"Shut up or do it yourself." After a while they had their answer and a very embarrassed mouse was put back on Sam's shoulder. "Okay, a name for a female mouse."

"How about Cat."

Both girls turned to see Bery leaning against the doorframe.

Sam frowned. "I should call it the name of her enemy? It will never know if it is a warning or a call."

"Fine. Find a better one."

Sam rubbed her forehead. "Let's see … Ti."

The other girls glared at her. "Ti?"

"Yeah. Ti like Tiny. I think that will do." She looked at the mouse. "Is that fine with you?"

The mouse looked at her a short moment and then squeaked.

"I take that as a yes."

The mouse squeaked again and Sam smiled.

Cori shrugged and started to grin contentedly. "Was it that hard?"

Behind Bery, Danny was glaring at the view in front of her. _'Mission failed, I guess. Stupid of me to think Sam would be afraid of mice. She doesn't even seem a little bit angry. Fine, I know when I've lost.'_

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It had started to rain. Feli was staring up at the clouded sky. They had been on the road for two weeks now. It was her first time at the camp and she had been very excited … at the beginning. But now … rain for a whole week. She couldn't remember the last time she had been dry. The first five days Lord Padraig had insisted on sleeping in tents. He had said that it was necessary for them to know how to survive in wild nature, no matter what weather. But at day six he had decided that it was enough, which could have had something to do with the hole in his tent, and now, on day seven they had found some huts to sleep in. Some of them, including Feli, had the task to make the old left huts habitable. Another part had the task to find wood for a fire. And the last part had to hunt for something to eat.

Everybody seemed quite happy at the thought of becoming dry again. Even the toughest of them had problems with the rain. Well, only Sam didn't seem to bother, she never complained, well she hardly had said anything in the last two weeks.

Feli never had a very close relationship to her cousin, not like her sister. Sam had always been a mystery to her. She could never tell what the other girl thought or felt, or if she had feelings at all. And from time to time she had been afraid of her. But during the last year she had started to warm up to Sam. She had watched her with her friends and she had noticed that the girl had changed. Cori didn't seem to notice it that much, maybe because she had been with her the whole time, but Feli did. She had been surprised when she had arrived at Pinehollow, two weeks before they had left for the palace. It wasn't that Sam's behaviour had changed drastically. Not at all. She acted nearly as usual, but there was something in her eyes Feli couldn't explain.

Feli had been irritated at her cousin since the first day Sam had arrived. Maybe because she didn't act like a child anymore, at least not like a child of her age. She had been quiet and reserved, but not shy. She didn't do things because of her feelings and wishes. Her decisions were based on logic and reason. She thought a lot about things which were too complicated for the five year old Feli and six year old Cori to understand. When she fought, her movements had a cat-like elegance, flexible and deadly. Even her cheerful sister hadn't been able to break through the walls Sam had built around herself, but unlike Feli, she had kept on trying everything to change that. Cori had never been angry with the other girl, always friendly and helpful. No success, they had thought at least.

They had been wrong. Sam proved to them how she felt they day Cori nearly drowned. They had been visiting Pinehollow with their parents. She still remembered how sad her mother has been. A year before, Feli's older brother Fedor had died because of a disease, and now her aunt, uncle and cousin had been killed, the only person who survived had been Sam.

One afternoon the sisters had sneaked outside to play, unnoticed by anybody. Sam had had a little cold at that time and was sleeping in her room. They had been running around, not knowing the terrain. And Cori had made the mistake to run through a bush, oblivious to the little river at the other side. It had been raining the last days and the little river was not so little anymore. Feli remembered how frightened she had been when she had heard her sister screaming. Then suddenly she had seen a little figure running towards the source of the scream, jumping after her sister. Feli had been frozen in place, staring at the wild surface of the river. Then she had seen something glowing green deep down, and suddenly Sam broke through the surface, her eyes glowing dark green, her arms holding the unconscious Cori. Feli didn't remember how they got to the bank, nor how the adults had been alarmed, but she remembered that both girls had been ill for weeks. Her mother had told her how lucky they had been that Sam had had a vision of Cori falling in the river, and that Sam had such a powerful Gift to protect both of them. And she remembered that from this day on the relationship between her sister and her cousin had become something she would never understand. And one day she had caught Cori crying in her bed. She had never told her why, but Feli knew that it had something to do with Sam.

Feli heard a noise in front of her and found herself eye to eye to the person she was thinking about. Sam was staring at her with her unreadable moss-green eyes. In her hands she had a number of rabbits, she had been in the hunting group. But as usual she had separated from the group and hunted alone, but successfully. She also had some plants with her to make the meat tastier. She had the ability to find eatable plants nearly anywhere.

Feli couldn't move. She just stared at her cousin, wondering what the girl in front of her felt. She wished so badly to understand her.

Suddenly Sam stared to speak.

"You should go inside and get dry. You will catch cold if you go on like this."

Feli stared at her. Did she see concern in her eyes? What did Sam feel for her, for her little cousin?

Sam nodded to her and started to go inside the hut.

Suddenly a realisation hit Feli. _'She misses Nat. She feels lonely, so she is building more walls around her to hide behind them.' _Feli turned her head and watched Sam intently. _'Maybe … one of us has to start …'_ "Sam?"

Sam stopped and looked back at Feli.

"Could you show me how to cook with those plants and how to find them?"

Sam frowned surprised and nodded slowly.

Feli smiled happily. _'One step after another.'_

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I think this is one of my saddest (at least at the beginning) and longest chapters ever. I have to be in a sad mood to write something like this. I worked hard on it and I had difficulties not becoming completely melancholic myself. But I think it was worth it. Now you know much more about the feelings of my persons. I think this is important so as to understand their actions (especially their future actions ^_^).

I expect a lot of reviews for this. (I'm serious! You except me to write much, then be a good example.) I hope you now know why it took so long for me to write it. Hell, I thought it would never end. °_°

Now to the names. You will get six with every chapter. When it starts to bore you, tell me, or simply don't read it. Deal? ^_^

Sometimes the meaning might sound strange, but I have to translate it from German into English, and that's not so easy because there are some things you express differently in these two languages, so you can't always translate it word by word.

**_Samira:_**singing  [I choose this name because I like both, the sound and the meaning, and a little allusion to 'Song of the Lioness'. ^_~]

**_Corvina:_**            little raven  [It sounds like the name of a noble, and I like ravens, they are mystical animals.]

**_Berenice:_**bringing the victory  [A good name for a Lady Knight, I think.]

**_Ariadne:_**            invisible, hidden  [Good name for someone who like to play tricks and who can create illusions.]

**_Aidan:_**                        little fire  [I read in my book that it was a boy's name as well. It suits the character very well I think. From the two sisters, Aidan acts more like a boy, and she is the leader of the triplets.]

**_Aaron:_**                        the enlightened  [What can I say? I liked the name and I needed one with an A at the beginning.]

Okay, because my friend pestered me because of the mouse's name, I had to add this: **I don't have anything against black animals named Blacky.** My friend's black dog is named Blacky and he is one of the **cutest, loveliest and sweetest** dogs I ever met (and one of the laziest, compared to mine). He his huge but has the temper of a lamb. I am deeply sorry if he feels hurt because of my mindless joke. I hope he will accept the apology.


	24. New year, new friends

Chapter 24:                              N**ew year, new friends.**

"My brother is insane." The black haired woman stared intently at her opponent, her moss green eyes nearly glowing with anger. "He doesn't respect the old ways anymore. He took away all my power over my clan. Instead of ruling together with me, he is ruling it alone now. Only a few loyal men and women came with me. He is turning his power against our people. Galina, we have to stop him."

Galina returned her gaze calmly. She didn't seem to be surprised at the news.

The woman frowned and hissed. "You KNEW it. You knew what he was up to. And you didn't warn me."

Galina shook her head. "It was already to late when I found out. You couldn't have changed anything."

"Do you know many of my bravest men died fighting against him, because they didn't want to obey a false leader?" The woman shook her head in disgust. "I want to talk to the queen. NOW. Maybe SHE has some sense in her head."

"The queen isn't here."

The woman's eyes widened. "WHAT? But … where is she? Is she …?"

"No, she isn't dead. But if it was up to your brother, she would have died long ago. That's why we couldn't do anything against him. If we told you everything and you had used this knowledge, he would have known that she's alive. And with being betrayed by the warrior clan, who could have protected the queen? We need her power and her wisdom when time comes. Otherwise we don't have any chance." Galina put a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss Tabitha. But I couldn't risk the lives of our people."

Tabitha's voice was just a hoarse whisper. "And the swords?"

"One of them is lost. The other one has a keeper."

"When will the sword and the queen be reunited?"

"The queen will claim the sword when time has come."

"He is killing our people, his own people. And if you think the way you are used handling such things will work with him, you are wrong. He is one of our kind, the head of one of the five clans, AND he is the Warrior. You are just the Priestess. Your clan is weaker than ours. You can't stand up against him. He is more powerful than you, and he has no conscience to stop him. This time the peaceful way won't help. You underestimate him."

"How could I underestimate him, knowing that it was him who killed the king?"

Tabitha paled. "No! That's impossible."

"It is the truth. He killed the king and some of his most loyal men together with their families. Only some of the children survived by luck. They were brought to their mothers' families, but he even sent his men after them to extinguish every witness of his cruel deeds. Some are still alive, though. They can tell you what happened to their families."

Thabita shook her head. "The worst nightmares are coming true. Is the keeper save? And who is he, where does he hide?"

"I can't tell you. The keeper is far away and safe. But your brother is searching for him. He wants his head."

"But he …. he can't. The keeper is sacred. After the queen the keeper is the person with the highest status. The keeper even stands above both of us. He can't …"

"He already killed our king. He wants to kill our queen. He won't stop. Your brother turned to a cruel murderer. Over centuries we tried to protect our people against human monsters, now our enemy is one of us. Nothing is safe anymore. Tabitha, everything is changing now. We are surrounded by treason. We can't trust anybody. You are not in the condition to fight him. You have to think of your unborn child first. Your brother made a bond with forces darker then we thought. We don't have any chance against him. We have to wait and get prepared until the day the Oak comes to show us the right way. I can tell you only one thing: the keeper will never betray the queen, because he's one of the children whose families were killed by your brother."

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It was a worm summer day. Sam was lying beneath a huge pine, enjoying the peace. Ti was sleeping on her chest, a little black ball, snoring contentedly, rising and falling with Sam's breath. Cori was reading a book next to her. She had developed a special liking for those stupid love stories. Sam couldn't understand how somebody like her cousin, who wanted to be knight, loved stories about weak princesses being rescued by princes with golden hair in shining armour. Riding white horses, of course.

Sam heard Cori sighing dreamily. She opened one eye, glaring at her. "Let me guess. Knight killed dragon, rescued lady, both living happily together for the rest of their lives. Am I right?"

Cori sighed again. "He is so sweeeet!"

"He is an invention."

Cori narrowed her eyes and glared at her cousin. "I know that, but …" She sighed again. "He is such a perfect man. The man I will marry one day has to be like him."

"Your future husband has to ride a white horse? You're easy to satisfy."

"Oh shut up. That is not funny. I didn't mean the horse or the wealth. I don't need a prince …"

"Why so modest?"

"… a gentleman, that's what he has to be. A knight, maybe. Honestly, honourable, friendly, tolerant …"

"… and a great kisser."

"Feli!"

Cori's sister giggled. She liked to tease her sister. "What? Don't you want to be kissed? I heard this is very important in a relationship. If he can't kiss, you have to dump him."

Cori stared at her younger sister, speechless.

Sam chuckled, amused. "Look, the little girl is speaking. Of course you are an expert in grown up relationships, aren't you?"

Feli blushed a bit. "Well, I heard some things …"

The older girl raised her eyebrows, waiting for her to continue.

Cori simply stared at her. "You are only eleven."

"And you are twelve, grandma. You are the one talking about these stupid love stories all day. I will NEVER marry. I will become …"

"… a warrior maiden. I will fight for those who can't defend themselves." Sam recited the words she had heard all summer, feeling bored like hell. "No man will ever touch me. I don't know what should be so special about being married. Boys are stupid. They …"

Feli rolled her eyes. "Shut up Sam. I've got the message." Suddenly an idea struck her and she traded a look with Cori and grinned evilly. "By the way, what about your plans? Do you want to marry or not?"

Cori got the message. "Yeah, instead of laughing about us you should tell us your dreams and expectations."

"I don't think so."

Cori knew she had to use another tactic to make her cousin talk. "Oh, stupid me. Of course it is out of question for you. You will marry Nat, of course."

Feli stared at her sister, knowing what would happen.

"WHAT!" Sam jerked up, sending a tiny black ball flying, squeaking all the way down. When Ti finally hit the ground, the little mouse started to revile furiously. Sam didn't even notice that. She stared shocked at Cori. "HOW DID YOU GET THIS STUPID IDEA?"

Cori grinned in triumph. "Caught you cousin."

Feli decided to join her sister. "Yeah! Is he good kisser, Sam?"

Sam's jaw dropped. "Are you two insane or simply crazy. There is nothing like that between Nat and me. I'm twelve. I'm too young."

"But if you were older …?"

Sam frowned. "Hell would freeze before I marry Nat. He is my friend, he's like a brother to me."

"Now, but in the future … we will see. But if it isn't Nat, what kind of man would you fall for?"

Sam hesitated and thought about it. "He must be trustworthy. I don't know anything else. I think it's senseless to think about that too much. You can't control love. It simply happens. Nobody can decide who he falls in love with. And if I look at us, I think things will turn out differently than we think now."

Cori frowned. "In what way?"

Sam looked seriously at her cousins. "Well, I don't know exactly. But I can't image that you two would be really satisfied with the ways you want to chose now. Things hardly ever develop as we want them to do."

Cori shook her head. "I don't think so. I know I will fulfil my expectations."

"And I will never fall in love." Feli added stubbornly.

Sam frowned at these statements. Then she noticed Ti standing on top of Sam's boot, staring at her. Sam blinked surprised. "Would you accept an apology?"

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"Okay. Can ANYBODY tell me why on earth it always rains when we are at the camp, but when we are at the palace, it is always sunny." Bery glared angrily at the wonderful blue sky. Not a single cloud. "Not that I want to complain, or anything." She knew she should be content. She had managed to get rid of her mother early enough before she could manage to make a fool of Bery in front of her friends. She really loved her mother, but also thought that she would never understand that woman and her strange behaviour. _'I hope that isn't hereditarily. But when I think of my brothers … I might have been a little child when they died, but I don't think they were like her. But I have to admit that I didn't have much contact with them, because they were between ten and twelve years older than me and already knights in training. I can hardly ask mother if they were as crazy as she or more like my father.'_Bery walked into the stables, deep in thought. She had arrived hours ago, hardly any other pages were here. None of her friends yet. Suddenly she noticed some kids standing in there, together with two men, who seemed to be their fathers. "Fresh meat." Bery grinned. "Time for the first contact." She moved slowly towards the nervous looking children, eyeing them curiously. "Hey, you must be some of the new pages. I'm Berenice of Gohman. You can call me Bery. Welcome to the palace." Bery smiled friendly while saying this. 'Even Cori would be content with my greeting. I haven't confused or scared them. Yet.'

"I'm Delilah of Agate Coast. You can call me Deli." A girl with dark brown hair and grey- blue eyes stepped forward, a smile on her face. "I've heard a lot about you."

Bery frowned. "Agate Coast? Hhmm. Is that anywhere near Agate Beach?"

Deli grinned. "The neighbour fief. I know Colin and Quentin very well. And they talk a lot."

Bery smirked. "That's true. I could tell you stories about them … maybe we will exchange some stories someday. You know, you tell me what they say about me, I'll tell you the most embarrassing situations during their stay at the palace. You  never know when you could use such information."

Deli smirked back. "Sounds promising."

"And who are you?" Bery turned towards the others.

"I'm Imogen of Windgate," said a girl with the brown hair and dark blue eyes.

"And I am Aileen of Silversea." The last girl had black hair and emerald eyes. She seemed to be the shyest of the three.

Bery was about to say something when they heard the noise of running horses outside. She turned around and smiled. "That must be the others." She smiled at the girls. "Come on. Let's greet them. I can introduce you, if you want."

They ran outside. In front of the stable they were greeted by a view which reminded her of some old hero paintings. A huge black horse was rearing, the rider was sitting straight in the saddle, one fist raised in victory.

Bery laughed. "Guess Sam has won again."

Imogen and Delilah stared, puzzled at her. Aileen couldn't move her eyes from the picture in front of her.

The sunbeams let the rider's hair shine like molten gold. The moss green eyes were flashing.

A moment later, two other girls and a man arrived at the courtyard. One of the girls also had blond hair, but her eyes were golden, like amber. The other girl had the same eyes, but her hair was black.

The blond girl murmured angrily. "Can't you let us win at least one time?"

The black haired girl next to her grinned. "You always challenge her, sister, and you hardly ever win. You know that. Stop complaining."

"Shut up, Feli. You lost as well."

Bery laughed aloud. "Hello, friends! How are you, you loosers?"

Sam had calmed down her horse and jumped down. "Don't tease them, Bery. You are an even worse loser than Cori."

"Hey! I'm not a sore loser!" Cori yelled angrily while getting off her horse.

"Sure you are." Feli joined them, smiling happily at Bery. "Hey, how are you, great mother of sarcasm?"

"Fine. What about you little child?"

"Fine, thanks. Who is that?" Feli turned her gaze towards the girls behind Bery.

"This is Delilah of … of …"

"… Agate Beach."

"I knew that. And Imogen of … ehm …"  
"… Windsgate."

"Yeah. Right. And Aileen of … give me a minute … something with S."  
"Silversea."  
"I knew that. S like Silversea."

Feli giggled. "You are getting old, Bery. Hi, I'm Felicitas of Kourell, Feli for my friends. That's my sister, Corvina. Everybody calls her Cori. And the one with the black monster over there is my cousin Samira of Pinehollow. The rare moments she will talk to you, you can call her Sam."

The 'black monster' snorted, like it's owner.

Aileen continued staring at Sam. From time to time she blinked, confused.

The arrivals lead their horses inside the stables. Sam frowned and returned Aileen's intense gaze while passing her by.

Aileen couldn't figure out what confused her with that girl. 'It's strange. From time to time I see a flash of green around her.'

She heard Bery and Deli talking about classes. "Believe me, we have a very mixed teaching staff. Some are annoying like hell, like Master Oaksbridge. Ask Sam, she had extra courses for three months with him, etiquette lessons. Some others are simply boring. And other are nice, like Sir Myles, he teaches history. Has anybody of you the Gift?"

Delilah nodded. "I can light fire."

Imogen shook her head. "I don't have the Gift."

Aileen looked shyly at Bery. "I can move things, and I can see magic."

Bery grinned. "Imogen, you will have classes with me and the others who don't have the Gift. Our teacher will be the basilisk Tkaa. He is really nice."

Imogen gasped. "An immortal?"

"Yes, but a really nice one. You will like him. Well, Deli and Lee, you will have magic lessons with Master Numair. He's a bit strange sometimes, but nice. Ask Sam, she once blew up the classroom and he wanted her to repeat it."

"Could you please stop making an example out of me. You make me look like a hooligan."

"According to some of our classmates, you are one."  
"Stop teasing her, or she will blow you up." Cori interfered.

After a while, the three new pages returned to their fathers to say good-bye. Sam was talking to the men who had arrived with her and her cousins. According to Bery, this was Sam's training master at home, Che.

After the men were gone ,the girls started to walk to the pages' wing. Deli, Imogen and Lee had already been to Lord Padraig, so they were able to go straight to their rooms.

Aileen were saying goodnight to her horse, when she felt somebody looking at her. When she turned around, she found Sam looking intensely at her. _'It feels like she is looking straight into my soul.'_

After a moment, Sam started to walk after her friends, leaving a puzzled Lee behind her. _'There it is again. A flash of green light, which disappears immediately. What is that?'_

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You can't imagine how hard it was to start this chapter. I was kind of burned out after chapter 23. But I've developed some new ideas, like introducing some characters to you earlier than I thought before. I hope you like it. With the couples you have to wait a little more. Most of them are only about 12 or 13 years in this chapter, not the age to start heated love affairs.

By the way, I read the story again and I've found a mistake: Colin was supposed to leave after a year. He was in his last year as a page when the girls arrived. I forgot that. Now I have changed chapter 18 and 20. I only replaced the names, and I had to erase a whole sentence.

Well, now the names. I think I will make three old characters and three new characters. How's that?

**_Nathan:           _**God has given him [Ahm, yeah, well … sounded good, nice nickname. No, I don't try to give all the boys names with god in its meaning.]

**_Milan:_**             the glory loving [Sound. God, most of the boy's name have a strange meaning. By the way, it's the short form of Miroslaw (Russian name) That would have been a name.]

**_Colin:_**              victory and people [That's a good name for a knight. At least one of the boys' names. I've read this one in a book and really liked it.]

**_Aileen:_**            the bright/ brilliant; the warming one [That translation sucks. Stupid dictionary. I liked the sound and the meaning of the name.]

**_Delilah:_**           the longing one [Reason: the sound. Meaning: was no part of my decision.]

**_Imogen:_**          innocent [I liked the sound (as usual). I thought it was a noble's name. I would really like to know how you pronounce it in English. I pronounce most of the names in German, and, believe me, that's very different.]

By the way, shall I give you the meanings of the original characters as well? I can't find all of them (like Lachran), but at least some. (That would be a kind of a poll, I guess)

Another poll would be: What would be a good nickname for Imogen? And Lachran? Is there anybody outside who can help me?


	25. Occupation

Chapter 25:                                           **Occupation**

"Sam! You need to be around other people more. I will not let you stay alone most of the time. How about sponsoring one of the new pages?"

Sam glared at her cousin. "Cori! This is none of your business. I decide if I want company. I don't need your advice." She cursed in her mind for letting herself getting caught in her room with her cousin. She had known that Cori had something planned for her.

Cori shook her head. "Oh no! I know you. You will stay on your own and feel pity for yourself. I know it's hard for you that Nat isn't here anymore, but you can't hide the whole time. I will make you if it's necessary."

Sam rolled her eyes. "And how do you think you can make me sponsor a first- year?"

Cori smirked. "How about coming in your room every evening, reading my favourite books aloud."

Sam paled. "That's … that's … horrible. You can't do this to me. You did it nearly the whole summer. That's not fair. Why don't you do it to some of the others? Bery for example."  
Cori frowned. "Bery would kill me."

"That was the plan."

Cori's frown deepened. "Do you never want to be sociable?"

Sam looked at her. "Why should I?"  
"Oh, come on. You are not like you pretend to be. I know you like the people around you more than you want to admit. I know that Quentin will sponsor Deli, and the triplets are discussing who of them will take Imo. Lee is still free. Of course some of the others could take her, but it would be a nice gesture from you. AND you were willing to sponsor Mo, last year, remember?"

"That was another case. Why do you have this wish to occupy me? Believe it or not, I am busy enough."

"Yes, you were busy enough last year to get into big trouble. I remember very well."  
"Damian isn't here anymore. He can't cause me any trouble."

"You will find a way."

Sam smirked inwardly. _'If only you knew how right you are.'_

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"My lord. I've just got a report from one of our men. He has probably been successful."

A man with long black hair turned away from the window he had been looking through to face his servant. "In which respect?"

"He has found someone with great power, which could be the kind of power we are searching for."

The intense gaze of his master made the servant shiver. He always found those moss green eyes irritating. But he had the impression that these eyes got darker and darker with every passing year. Now they were a mixture of black and dark green. _'Since when has our master changed so much?'_

"The keeper?"

"Perhaps."

"It would be better for the man if it is the keeper. My patience is becoming thinner and thinner."

The servant gulped. "Y…yes my lord."

"What about my … sister?"

"She can't be found, my lord. She is hiding very well. But we are continuing our search."

The man nodded and dismissed the servant. _'The plan is working. Even if it doesn't seem like it. If my sister is giving birth to a daughter things could turn out more difficult than they are now. Maybe I will need an heir myself.'_

He smirked. _'Well, that can be taken care of. Oh Allister, old friend, if only you could see me now. You told me that I wouldn't be successful, that I would be stopped. But I have beaten you in every way possible.'_

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Che was worried about his mistress. His father had been the training master of her father. Both of them died on the same day, together with their families. The only ones left had been Samira and Che himself. A five-year-old girl and a 30-year-old man. And he had taken over the duty of his ancestors and trained his mistress, so she could defend herself. But he knew it would be nothing against the power of their enemy.

And now he had to leave her again. He knew that the palace was a quite save place, but still … . Nobody else knew about the past of his mistress, and so nobody else was able to protect her the way she should be protected. But even if they knew, the magic of the enemy was older than any magic these people ever met.

Che himself didn't know that much about magic. He was a simple man, a member of the warrior clan. His family and the girl's family had always been in the same tribe, and his ancestors had always been loyal servants of hers. But this girl was a mage, a region he couldn't train her in. A mage who lost her magic, an easy prey. And there was nothing he could do.

Those Tortallans had tried to teach her to use her magic, but they only made things worsen. He had read several letters from Galina, which said that the enemy was nearly able to locate his mistress.

_'We need more allies. Somebody to watch over her.'_

He was riding through the Royal Forest, lost in his thought. Suddenly he reached a huge clearing. He frowned. There was a village that hadn't been here when he rode here the last time, a year ago.

He looked at the houses. They looked familiar to him. He blinked and started to grin.

_'I guess the Oak has some sense of humour.'_

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Aileen was in shock. She would have never thought this would happen to her. _'Oh my god. Of all possible sponsors … . I hope she isn't really the way she had been described to me. Otherwise I'm in trouble.'_

She stared at the girl who sat opposite to her at the dining table. Although she was surrounded by her noisy friends, there was an aura of silence around her, which let no noise out and no noise in. She didn't really seem to be part of the group, although something would be missing if she weren't there. Lee shook her head_. 'Why do I always have such strange feelings when I look at her. I have been told that she has lost her magic, but I still see those flashes of moss green light around her.'_ She still remembered the moment Sam had chosen to sponsor her. The whole crowd has gasped in shook. Lee had been puzzled at first. But when the triplets came to express their condolence she had become quite nervous. _'Let's see how this is turning out. I mean, she's a girl, she should be on my side, shouldn't she?'_

Suddenly Sam lifted her head and their eyes locked again. Lee had a hard time breathing. She could see so much in those eyes. Things she would never be able to understand. But one thing she knew. There was a power behind those eyes that shouldn't be owned by a girl at this age_. 'I wonder how this will develop.'_

Sam stared at the girl in front of her. _'Maybe it was a fault to sponsor her. She seems to be afraid of me.'_ She tried to read the expression on the other girl's face. She hadn't thought to choose any of the new pages. But this girl had caught her attention, and she didn't know why. And when she had watched Lee touching Ti without any girlish screams, even feeding her, she warmed up to the girl. She tried to force a tiny smile on her face, which seemed to puzzle the other girl even more. Sam sighed. _'This will be … interesting.'_

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Well, well another chapter done. I know they are quite short at the moment, but I have got some new ideas of possible subplots. (Is that word right? Sometimes I'm not sure if my dictionary has always the correct words.)

By the way … I don't think it will be much longer until you know at least some of the future couples. I thought I would start slowly when the girls are in their last year as pages. Something important will happen in the third year. After that some things will change. (I hope you won't kill me because of my choice of couples. I've already told you: I like things complicated. ^_~)

And I have to introduce more characters. (That doesn't mean that every new character is supposed to fall in love with one of the old ones.)

Finally to the names:

**_Felicitas:_**              fortune, blissfulness  [I read this name in a book and liked it immediately.]

**_Galina:_**                 rest, silence, peace  [good name for a priestess]

**_Moana:_**                 infinity of the oceans  [I simply love that name.]

**_Damian:_**               people  [the sound]

**_Quentin:_**               the fifths  [uhm … the sound]

**_Robert:_**                 glory and shine  [good name for a knight]


	26. Advises and revenge

Chapter 26:                              **Advises and reven****ge**

It was early in the morning, too early. Lee yawned heavily. _'She told me to get up as early as possible. She said she wants to show me something. I hope she knows what she's doing to me. I hate getting up early. Damn it! I hope it is worth the effort.'_ Lee started to get dressed slowly, groaning most of the time.  _'Maybe I should be happy that she is taking me with her. She wasn't that bad yesterday. She was quite friendly, … in her own irritating way. She showed me around and told me a lot of important things. Let's see what she's up to today.' _When Lee was finally ready, she opened her door and walked outside. _'I'm really early today. Let's see if Sam is up, too. Would be fun if she's still asleep.' _She was about to close the door, when she heard a voice.

"What took you so long?"

Lee jumped in surprise. Next to her door Sam was leaning on the wall, arms crossed in front of her chest. Lee's jaw dropped. "How long were you standing there?"

"Quite some time. The others are already gone. I would have woken you up earlier, if Cori hadn't threatened me to be more patient." Sam chuckled lightly. "Well, did you sleep well?"

"Uhm. Yeah. Thanks."

"Good. Than you are fit for training."

"Training? This early? I thought …"

Sam had already turned around and walked away. Lee had to run to catch up to her. "Are you telling me that you train this early, every day?"

"We train regularly together, every morning, every evening. And we study together."

Lee frowned. "Who is we?"

"All the female pages and our closest friends. You will meet them when we are there. And you might meet Lady Keladry as well. She trains with us from time to time, but not very often. Only when she's at the palace and not occupied."

Lee's eyes became huge. "Really?"

"Why should I lie to you? By the way, if you don't want to, you don't have to join us. It's not part of the normal pages' training. You have a choice. But it would help you a lot, because you need to increase your strength. Considering you are a girl you have to be stronger than the boy is when it comes to fighting skills. If you are weaker, it is harder for you to get accepted. If you are too good, it's not good either."

Lee blinked. "How are the other boys? Are they friendly? Do they accept female pages, or do we have to fight for acceptance?"  
"Well, I'm not interested that much in other peoples' opinions. But in general you can say there are some boys who will accept you completely as the person you are. You will meet most of them now at the training court where we practise. They are our friends. Then there are some who will accept you after a while, which of course depends on your behaviour towards them. But they aren't such close friends. Maybe you'll want to change that. I never tried but I think they could become closer friends if we tried.

Well, and there are of course those who have prejudices against female warriors. Some of them only complain about us, sometimes they are quite nasty, but if you ignore them they won't harm you, most of the time. But be careful during the training lessons. That's one of their favourite pay back times. If your training-partner isn't as good you, can hit him without getting punished. Oh, and don't insult their honour as 'men' without a good reason, even if they have not a hint of honour in them. Then you will have to face them in a fight, which can, and most often, ends up in a punishment. And believe me, Lord Padraig, or should I say Master Oaksbridge, will make you regret it."

"Oh, I remember. Bery told me something about you being punished for a fight."

Sam frowned. "Bery talks too much."

"Please! Tell me. Otherwise I'll hear it from somebody else."

Sam rolled her eyes and continued. "Fine. Before you interrupted me, I was about to tell you about the boys whom you have to avoid as much as possible. The ones who are actually trying to get rid of us. Damian of Windshole was one of them. He is in his first year as a squire now, so you won't meet him as often as I did. He and his friends, Kajus of Grealok and Ruben of Espial, tried to get rid of us from the first day. Before, they tried to get rid of Nat, Nathan of Malven, my sponsor, and Lachran, with no success. So they tried to force Nat to get rid of me, with no success either. So they beat him up regularly. Then they wanted to 'persuade' Bery to leave the palace by beating her up. After that, Lachran, Nat, Cori and I decided that we had to do something, so we formed our training group, to become good enough to fight them successfully and honourably. Later the others joined us. We had several small fights with our 'three friends', but nothing serious. But last year Damian wanted to sponsor Moana. He wanted to challenge me. I accepted that challenge, we fought until we broke down, I was the winner, more or less, and we were punished for three months. Damian left Mo to us, and his hatred towards me increased. Satisfied? My throat is dry."

"Wow!" Lee stared at her sponsor. _'I think I have to talk to Bery again. I don't think everything was that easy. I don't think she lied to me, but maybe she has left out some details. About her importance in the whole story.'_

Suddenly Sam stopped in front of a door. "We are here. Behind that door the rest of the group is waiting."

She looked down at the ten-year old girl, who seemed a bit worried. To Lee's surprise she smiled lightly and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry. I wouldn't lead you to people who would want to harm you."

Lee looked up in surprise. "I never thought so, but …"

Sam looked very serious now. "Lee. Listen to me, I won't repeat this again. I don't call someone a friend easily. I'm very careful with that word. But if I do, this person can trust me. If they are in danger, I will do whatever necessary, as far as it is possible for me. And all those people you will meet in there are my friends. They might be difficult from time to time, you will see us argue quite often, and I'm definitely not the possessive kind of friend, but nonetheless they are the most trustworthy persons I know, and everybody who can call himself their friend is a very lucky person."

Lee nodded astonished.

"And if you tell them what I've just said I will hunt you down and kill you the most painful way I can manage. I don't want to be analysed for the rest of the year."

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Sam was sitting on the dining table, rubbing her temples in a way that told anybody that she was really … stressed. This impression was supported by the curses she whispered from time to time.

Lee was sitting next to her and tried hard to concentrate looking down at her food, avoiding every eye contact. With every curse she seemed to become smaller.

Cori shook her head and sat down in front of her cousin. "What's the matter, deary?"

Sam lifted her eyes. "Don't ever call me 'deary' again."

Cori lifted her eyebrows, not impressed at all. "What happened to you? You were in a much better mood in the morning."

"Nat."

"Oh, did he finally write you a letter?" 

Sam growled. "You could say that."

"What did he write to you?"

Sam narrowed her eyes. "To sum it up: I'm fine, I have a knight master, and I will write more soon."

Cori blinked. "That short."

"I have is master's name. Duncan of Snowshill."

"That's great. He was so afraid that he wouldn't get a knight master. Are you writing him back? Tell him my congratulations."

"I will write him back when I've calmed down enough not to insult him. I waited the whole holidays for a letter, and he dares writing me such a short one."

Cori padded her cousin's head like she would a small child. "Don't be angry. He surely has good reasons for it, and he promised you another letter. Calm down sweety."

Sam glared daggers at her cousin. "Don't call me sweety. Since you started reading those damned love-stories, you started with those stupid nicknames. It's horrible."

"Better than reading something like 'How to run a fief.' I think that is strange." Danny sat down next to Lee, followed closely by her siblings and Imo, who was sponsored by Aaron.

Sam grinned. "Oh, that book. Did you actually read it, or did you just look at the title?"

Danny frowned. "Only the title. I won't ever read such dry stuff if I can avoid it."

Sam chuckled. "I thought so. Actually that book isn't a theoretical dissertation about the administration of a fief, but the memoirs of a lord who was very unsuccessful in running his fief. He made every fault possible, he dropped in every brink, and until the day he decided that his wife should have the fun of it, which turned out to be the wisest decision he ever made. My uncle found it in his library and it is quite funny to read."

The triplets looked surprised, to say the least.

Aaron cleared his throat. "And all those books about healing without the Gift?"

"They are about herbs and stuff like that. Very interesting. You never know when it could come in handy." She grinned at the triplets who were oblivious to the promise her eyes held for them.

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It was late in the evening. Time to go to bed. The pages returned to their rooms. Tomorrow would be a long day and everybody needed sleep.

Lee was about to close her door when she noticed Sam leaning against the frame of her door, waiting for something.

The others said goodnight to each other and entered their rooms as well. Suddenly there were two loud noises, like water falling down somewhere, followed by two screams.

Lee turned her head, shocked by the sudden screams, to look at Sam who started to grin, satisfied. Sam turned around to walk inside her room and noticed Lee's shocked expression. She gave a catlike grin at her and put her finger on her mouth to signalise her not to say anything. Lee nodded slowly and started to stare at the direction the screams had been coming from. Danny's and Ria's rooms.

The other girls came out to find the source of the screams.

The sisters were running out of their rooms, completely wet, fuming with anger.

"WHO PUT THOSE BUCKETS WITH WATER ABOVE OUR DOORS?" Danny was shouting angrily. She didn't like to be the one who was tricked.

Cori looked puzzled at the sisters. "What happened to you?"

Danny glared at the girl, knowing that Cori would never do something like that. "Somebody put buckets full of water above our doors, so when someone entered the room, the water would be poured all over him." Suddenly she winced. "And above Aaron's door as well. Fine. Who was that? Spill it out. If you want war, you can have it." She looked around, glaring intensely at the stunned faces of her friends, who were watching her, except Sam who had already entered her room. She realised that none of them was responsible for the attack. She growled angrily. "I will find out." Then she turned around and entered her room again.

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Okay, this chapter was only about the pages and their first day. I hope you like it. I thought about having more fun with the triplets. I only have to develop more tricks to play on them. Recommendations are welcomed.

I will add more soon, but I have to work for school and I don't know how much time I will have. I will do my best.

I don't know if this deary and sweety stuff is correct English, but I read it in some other fanfics and I thought it would match the situation.

Thank you for all those reviews. I really love them. Every time I feel sad I read them and I'm happy again. ^_^ (Especially after tests at school.)

**Little Tiger:**   Es hat mich echt gefreut mal eine deutsche Review zu lesen. Wenn Aikido der Name eines Kampfstils ist, dann könntest du recht haben. Da bisher jede Figur in Tamora Pierce Büchern eine ‚besondere' Waffe zur Verfügung hatte, und ich nicht die gleichen hernehmen wollte, musste ich mir einen anderen Kampfstil überlegen. Und dann habe ich irgendwo einmal einen Kampfstil gesehen der zwei Schwerter verwendete, und das ganze passte noch dazu hervorragend in die Handlung. Wie der Stil heißt weis ich leider nicht, aber es war ein asiatischer Kampfstil. Was die Romanzen betrifft würde ich mir nicht zu viele Sorgen machen, mir graut nämlich schon davor die zu schreiben, also wird das nicht zu ausführlich (Allein schon aus Mangel an Vokabular und einer tiefsitzenden Abneigung gegenüber kitschigen Liebesgeschichten). Coris momentane Vorliebe für Liebesgeschichten ist eher ein Gag, das wird sich aber wieder ändern ... spätestens wenn ... nein, ich sag nichts. Ich habe ein paar zentrale Liebesgeschichten, die wichtig für die Handlung sind, und ein paar andere die am Rand erwähnt werden sollen, wie genau weis ich aber noch nicht.

**Lady Rogue:** I hope this is a fresh idea. I know that I didn't copy it, I started reading fanfics only some months ago and I had thought of this story for about more than six months before that. But since I've started writing this story I've found some other fics that have similar ideas (I don't say that they copied them!). The first chapter was kind of an experiment. I wanted to know if anybody is interested in such a fic, and mainly if they are able to understand what I've written. That's why it's so short. (Believe it or not, I needed more than two hours to write it. *blushes* I don't need that much time anymore.) I've often wondered if I should mention more conflicts between the boys and the girls, maybe I made the whole thing a bit too easy, I don't know…

By the way, you are the first one who seemed to notice the hint that Sam doesn't have a choice to concerning her destiny. I thought this hint would be clearer. Destiny is a very important thing in this story: Why? You will see … ^_^

And finally:

Hello and welcome to another round: "What's the meaning behind?" First I thought thinking of names would be difficult. But translating their meanings is even worse. Dictionaries are stupid. I can only say it over and over again. Those who are dependent on them are damned. (I know some matching swearwords in German, but I can't translate them, because: no translation in the damn dictionary. _)

**_Allister:_**           the repulsing/ preventing one, the protector [English form of Alexander. I like the meaning and the sound. I think it's a good name for a noble like him. I will tell you more about him later.]

**_Kajus:  _**            [another form of the Roman name Gaius (Gajus), which isn't explained in my book. Of course not. It would be much too easy otherwise.]

**_Ruben:_**            look, a son!   [I'm honest. This is the meaning of this name. Strange huh?]

**_Charis:_**                        the graceful, the charming  [Which has honestly been her character. I will tell you more about her later in the fic.]

**_Damaris:_**         wife, lover /mistress  [I really don't know if it's lover or mistress. In German it's one word with two meanings: Geliebte]

**_Tabitha:_**          gazelle  [^_^ I'm so happy ! The same word like in German. I love that name.]


	27. Plants and powder

Chapter 27:                                           **Plants and powder**

Lee was watching the scene in front of her intently. Cori was travelling between Sam's room and her own, carrying sick looking plants to her cousin's room, and coming back with healthy and wonderful looking plants, which she carried back into her room. Sam was leaning against the wall with a sour look on her face. When Cori carried an extremely exhausted looking plant, Sam winced and let out a little whimper.

Lee shook her head in surprise and wonder. "Cori, may I ask what you are actually doing?"  
Cori interrupted her activity and smiled. "Oh, I'm only exchanging the plants. When they are in my room, they have the tendency to become sick. But when they are around Sam, they grow like crazy. That's why we exchange them from time to time. This way the plants regain their strength in her room, and when they have regenerated enough, they come back to me."

Sam glared at her cousin with narrowed eyes, obviously displeased with her actions. "We? You are the one who decided this. My poor plants. I don't know what you are doing to them, but they are not the same after you have them in your hands. What are you doing to them? Reading your damned novels aloud? Why do you insist on having them in your room?"

Cori smiled again. "The room looks more lovely when there is something alive in it."

Sam frowned. "Which you try successfully to kill. You are constantly decimating my number of plants. Don't think I didn't notice that some of them never come back from you. Wouldn't you prefer a painting of a plant? That would be much easier for both of us, and my plants could live without you putting them in constant trauma."

Cori simply shrugged and continued her activity. "Whatever." When she returned from her room again, she was carrying a pot, without a plant in it.

As soon as she passed Sam, her cousin lowered her head and stared intently at the pot. "Where. Is. The. Plant?"

"Oh, I think it's already in hibernation. But the bulb is still fine."

"Cori, it is AUTUMN. I really doubt that an indoor plant suddenly decides to go into hibernation when it's autumn. What have you done to it?"

Cori scratched her head and murmured something inaudible.

Sam growled, took the pot out of her cousin's hands, returned to her room and, after shooting a last death glare at her cousin, slammed the door behind her.

Cori only shrugged and returned to her own room.

Lee was standing in the middle of the hall, shaking her head in disbelief. It was her third day at palace, and there was one thing she could say: Nothing was like she expected it to be. She didn't mean this in a negative way. Strange would be the right word. But somehow … she liked it. The early training was horrible. Lee winced automatically when she thought of it. Her backside hurt like hell. Sam had explained to her that you remember things easier when it hurts. "Wrong move, pain, no repetition", had been her exact words. _'But that doesn't seem to work as easy as she told me it would. Not when it comes to me. But at least I'm not the only one with bruises.'_ Lee giggled at the thought of some of the boys who had dared to stare more on Bery's chest than into her eyes. The girl had developed very fast during the summer, and was a bit sensible about it. They were so fixed on their view, that they didn't see it coming. Bery's knee could be a very painful weapon. Lee went towards her sponsor's room, grinning the whole time. It would be lunch soon, and she wanted to know what Sam had planned for today. Before knocking, she looked amusingly towards the sisters' rooms. Nobody would ever expect that Sam was the one responsible for the little 'accidents' that were happening to the triplets lately. Only Lee knew it, and she was proud of being considered trustworthy. When she entered the room she immediately noticed the change of atmosphere in there. Half of the plants in there were now sick looking. Before that everything inside here had been in perfect health and beauty. Lee had to admit that she was more than fascinated by Sam's room. The plants, the crystals, the whole atmosphere … she couldn't point a finger on it, but she felt … safe in it. Like home, although her home had never looked like that.

Sam was sitting on her bed; the soil filled pot on her lap. On her shoulder Ti was watching the pot as intently as her owner was. Sam was murmuring something inaudible. She seemed to be angry and worried at the same time. Suddenly there was a flash of green light.

Lee blinked. She knew she was the only one who saw this. She had already been told that mages needed to practise to be able to see magic. But in her case it was different. She was born with this skill. She was used to seeing more than everybody else sees, and she kept quiet about that. She even loved it, because it made her world rich with colours hardly anybody could see. And in Sam's room there was a constant moss green glow, surrounding plants, crystals and their owner. 

Lee cleared her throat to get her sponsor's attention. The heads of both mouse and human jerked up, looking at her. Lee smiled shyly. "Is everything fine with you?"

Sam looked silently at her, then at the pot, then back to Lee and sighed. "Depends on what you call 'fine'. But except the urge to kill my cousin … yeah, I'm fine." She shrugged and looked again down to the pot, shaking her head in disbelief.

Lee grinned relieved. 'She isn't mad anymore. Good.'

Sam got up finally and put the pot with the other plants. She inspected them attentively, murmuring silently. She interrupted her inspection to point with one finger towards the table. "Look at that package. It might interest you." Then she continued to touch and comfort every plant in the room. Ti was always on her shoulder, watching.

Lee walked to the table and found an open package lying on it. In it there were several little paper-bags with strange names written on them. And a little box with pralines in it. She lifted one of the paper-bags and opened it carefully. There was powder in it. Lee frowned. "What is this."

"Read the description."

Lee looked around and noticed a letter lying next to the package. She put the bag back and took the letter. While reading it her eyes became large. "That's … mean. Do you really want to do this to them?" She looked at Sam.

Her sponsor turned her head slowly, a predatory gleam in her eyes and an evil smirk on her face. "I have already done it. You will see the consequences soon. At lunch time, I think."

Lee gulped. "I see. Really, I never want to be your enemy. That's much too dangerous."

She heard her sponsor chuckling.

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The pages were entering the dining hall, hungry. It had been a hard training day and everybody felt nearly starved. Especially the older boys, who seemed to be able to eat more than their weight themselves.

Cori looked at Lachran's plate and shook her head. "This is unbelievable. How on the goddess sake can you eat that much without feeling sick? And I was worried about my eating tendencies." She turned at her right side only to have a look at the strange tower Milan had made out of his food in order to get more on his plate. She blinked in surprise. "Is this a kind of art I don't understand, or do you simply have to much time to think about food. How have you been able to transport this without dropping half of it? I wonder who is the worst of all of you."

At this moment Quentin took his place next to Lachran, opposite to Milan, hearing her last words. He knew what she was complaining about, mainly because she did it every day since they arrived. His plate was filled as high as the others' and he got an idea. "Hey guys!"

The others turned their heads towards him.

"How about an eating competition."

Lachran blinked. "In what way?"

"Listen. As soon as we are allowed to eat we dig in as fast as possible, and whoever finishes first, wins. Got it?"

Milan and Lachran exchanged a look and shrugged. "Fine."

Cori glared at the boys around her. "You can't be serious? I won't sit around and watch you acting like pigs. You are supposed to be nobles, future knights. That means you are supposed to have manners. What you're doing is disgusting."

Milan grinned at her. "Oh! So you won't be the judge?"

"Pardon?"

"We need somebody who declares the winner."

Cori looked from one boy to the other. After some minutes she shrugged. "Fine, I'm the judge then."

The boys grinned and prepared themselves for their fight, shooting glares at each other as if they were dangerous enemies.

Cori shook her head. _'Things like that are never mentioned in my books. Are all men that childish, or am I in the wrong company.'_ Suddenly she felt somebody sitting down next to her. She turned around to see Sam and, opposite to her, Lee. She let out a relieved sigh. "Finally! Normal people."

Sam frowned and looked at her. "Huh?"

"The boys are driving me crazy."

"I told you not to read too much of your novels…"

Cori blushed. "Not THAT kind of crazy. Have you looked at their plates lately? It's enough to bury somebody underneath it."

Sam shrugged. "Maybe they are hungry."

Cori glared at her. "There is a difference between hunger and gear. These guys really want to make a competition out of it."

"Yeah. And Cori is the judge." Lachran interfered.

Sam looked at her cousin and lifted one eyebrow.

Cori blushed again and decided not to say anything more.

After a while, the whole group had taken seats at the huge table, and they got the permission to eat. Everybody watched in astonishment how the three competitors swallowed the huge amount of food in a matter of minutes. After declaring Milan the winner, the rest started to eat their food.

Suddenly Bery frowned. "Hey, what's wrong with you Danny?"

The girl's eyes were huge, her face deep red and her hands grasped her throat. Her breath had increased and she tried to say something. "W…"

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So, THAT is mean. What happened to Danny? I know it. You will have to wait. He, he…. I'm bad.

It's been so long since I've created a cliffy. I thought it was time for a new one. How did you like the chapter? The story is more funny than dark at the moment. Hmm … I think I have to change that. We will see.

Sorry, but this time, no meanings of names. I first have to research which of them I haven't already explained. When I've made up a list, you'll get them. If a new character comes in, I'll give you the meaning.


	28. The sweetness of payback

Chapter 28:                                           **The sweetness of payback**

"W…" Danny sucked in her breath.

Feli stared at her. "What's the matter?"

The other pages looked around and noticed that Ria and Aaron had also the same symptoms.

Mo scratched her head. "Hmmm … it looks like…" She took a glass of water and offered it to Danny.

The girl took it more than eagerly and gulped it down and gasped:  "More."

Now the other pages also started to understand and gave the triplets all the available water.

"What have they eaten?" Lachran murmured puzzled. "They seem to have the same things we do."

Finally the triplets were able to speak again.

"Hell, that was … sharp." Ria looked shocked at her plate, then at her friends. "How are you able to eat this?"

Deli, who sat opposite to her, inspected her plate intently. The other girl seemed to have the same food she had herself. "May I?" She took a piece of meant and bit carefully in it.

All the others stared at her waiting for her reaction.

Deli blinked in surprise. "This tastes exactly like mine. It isn't sharp at all." She stared at Ria. "What have you eaten, exactly?"

The other girl stared at her, then at her plate. "The meat…" She took her fork again and tried another bit. She immediately gasped and gulped down another glass of water.

Now the other pages inspected the triplets' food more carefully. Everybody came to the same solution.

"The food is fine. I don't know what's wrong, but it has nothing to do with your food." Milan shook his head. Then an idea struck him. "Do you plan to eat the rest? No? Can I have it?"

The triplets weren't able to eat anything without drinking litres of water, which had other side affects as well. Even milk was a horror for them. But at least it seemed to become weaker with time, and by the evening they didn't have that much breathing problems anymore.

Nobody noticed Sam's satisfied smirk every time the triplets tried to eat something. And nobody noticed the promise in her eyes as well.

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She was trembling, sweating, gasping. She felt that something was happening to her body. A power rising and falling deep inside her. She felt the pain clinging in her soul. _'I'm lost. I'm helpless. I'm incomplete.'_

**DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY! DESTINY!**

A new wave rolled over her. _'Oh gods, please, help me.'_

Suddenly there was a nearly inaudible noise. The door had opened and Lee peered in. "Sam?" She noticed the older girl curled to a ball in her bed, panting heavily. She closed the door carefully behind her and walked quickly to the bed. The room wavered in the most intense moss green light she had ever seen. It wasn't limited to this room; nearly the whole wing was affected. The glowing had woken her up; she only had to follow it to its centre.

She bent down to Sam, noticing that the girl's eyes were wide open, but the older girl didn't seem to recognise anything.

Lee didn't know what she was supposed to do. She could call help, but she wasn't sure that Sam would like that. She had once told her how she had hated to be inspected by Master Numair, who first tried to figure out her magic, and later searched for the reason why it was gone. Lee shook her head. No. She wouldn't do this. But she couldn't just stand there and watch. There had to be something she could do for her.

She continued looking down to Sam. _'She is looking so lonely.' _Lee sat carefully down on the bed and started to stroke Sam's face slowly and gently. After a while she felt the other girl relax a bit. She took her head into her lap and continued stroking it.

After a while Sam's breath calmed down and she closed her eyes. The glow faded slowly. "Thanks."

Lee smiled softly. "What happened?"

Sam sighed. "It had started some time ago. Every once a while, since I've lost my magic I get those attacks. They are rare, but … they are horrible."

She looked up to her friend's face.

"I wished my magic would be back. I feel so … incomplete without it. It had always been part of my life. You told me once that seeing magic makes your world richer."

The other girl nodded.

"That's the same with me. I had a connection to every living being … it was … incredible. And now, it's gone. I'm lost, helpless. I won't be able to do what I was born to do when time has come. Everything I ever believed in is turned upside down. I don't know where to turn and who to ask. And I'm not even allowed to ask anybody for help. I'm surrounded by treason, Lee. Even my own people betrayed me. People my family and I have trusted more than anybody else have betrayed us in the most horrible ways that you can imagine. Our world is changing. I feel it. And if I can't change the direction of it's development, the world will be covered with war and destruction."

Lee stared at her, eyes wide in shock. She knew that the girl wasn't joking. Her eyes were serious; her words seemed like a prophecy. Lee felt fear rising in her chest. "Sam! What are you talking about."

Sam closed her eyes again. "I'm talking about the day the protector turns against those he is supposed to protect. I'm talking about the day dark forces of the past will try to take over the rule of the world, like they've already tried centuries ago. I'm talking about the return of the darkness, the death of the innocence and the purity. I'm talking about the only weapon that could stop this, which I might be too weak to protect. He will come to get me, he will hunt me down and he will destroy everything worth being protected. He will kill anyone who means something to me. He has done it before. And without my magic, there will be no way to stop him. I have created this monster, and I haven't created it. I'm divided in three personalities, the person I am, the person I have to be and the person I will be. And I have to find the union between the three of them, because if I can't unite them, I will never be sure of myself, and I will fail." She opened her eyes again and stared at Lee. "Lee?"

"Yes."

"Please, stay. I want to tell you about my people. I want to tell you why you have to be prepared. Why all of us should be prepared, and why I can't tell anybody about it."

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Blades were dancing in the morning sun. A flock of birds flew over terrain, surprised by the unusual view. Of course the birds of the royal palace were used to fighting people. They were also used to watching some of the strange smaller humans, called pages, train very early in the morning. But these two were earlier than usual. If the birds had the same conception of time, they would know they were half an hour before the usual time.

Some of the birds decided to give in their curiosity and to take a closer look at those strange human beings. They sat down at a post, next to a black mouse, which was watching as well. They recognised the mouse as the companion of one of those humans. It has been here with her quite often and was a familiar sight.

After some time the human girl with the colouring of ripe wheat was able to wrest the sword out of the hands of the girl with hair as dark as a raven's feather.

Lee rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I will never learn it."  
Sam only shrugged. "Of course you will. If you go on practising like that, you will have more success than you can imagine."

Lee yawned heavily. "It's much to early for that much training."  
Sam shrugged again. "It was your idea to get up earlier. I have to admit that I had expected you to complain much earlier. You've been very brave the last three days. Believe it or not, you have already improved a bit."

Lee sighed. "Yes, I don't stumble over my feet the whole time anymore. Only every third step. What an improvement."

To her surprise Sam started to laugh. "Poor baby. Not a perfect warrior already. You have my pity."

Lee pouted. "Thanks for your sympathy. It really helps to lighten my mood."  
Sam chuckled at that statement. "You are not a morning person, Lee. Nothing could lighten up your mood at this time of day."

"Of course there is something."

Sam frowned. "What would that be?"

"A bed of course."

Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You are missing the best time of the day sleeping as long as you do. Isn't the morning beautiful?"

Now it was Lee's turn to frown. "Oh, yeah. Really great. Never seen something like that before."  
Sam chuckled again. "I see your joy. Now how about some drills? Or hand to hand combat. What would my lady prefer?"

"Still the bed."

Sam shook her head again. "And people say I'm difficult."

Lee grumbled lightly. "By the way, what is your plan for today? What have you planned for the triplets?"

"Hmm. First we had sharp, then a day off, then sour, then a day off … today it's bitter, I guess."  
Lee shook her head. "I still can't believe how that powder works. You do something with it in a glass of water, drink it, and then everything you are eating or drinking tastes sharp, bitter, sour or god knows what. How did you get this stuff."

Sam grinned. "From a healer. I told you, my people know a lot about plants. And some extracts of herbs have these effects. It had been developed for people who want to become slim. It is possible to control which things taste bad. It is possible to limit the number. If you mix one of these powders with another special powder the effect is only shown when you eat, for example, sweets. But when I've prepared the triplets' drinking water in their rooms, I didn't mix it up with that powder."  
Lee shook her head again. "I'm starting to feel pity for them. When do you plan to stop this?"

Sam sighed. "It's the last day, I guess. If I continue too long, they would be affected too much. And they would consult a palace healer, and that could mean trouble. But I want them to know who did it."

Sam started to grin.

Lee frowned lightly. "Why are you doing this anyway?"

Sam shrugged. "Distraction. Did you see their faces when they had their 'sour day'? I had a hard time controlling my laughter. Now I know why they always play tricks on other people."

Lee stared at her questioningly. "Do you want to start an equal carrier like them."

"No. After that I'll quit it. But I will enjoy today as much as possible. I wonder how I can tell them who is responsible for their misery the right way. We will see. But now, let's continue training. Don't think I didn't notice that you only wanted to play for time."

Lee moaned annoyed when Sam took a fighting stance, waiting for her to do the same. "Much too early for this. Much too early."

Same time, another place.

On an hill above Corus a man was watching the city intently. He had been travelling for weeks already, watching searching, hoping. And now he had arrived in Tortall, soon he would enter the City of Corus. And maybe he would find here what he was searching for.

His horse started to paw nervously.

He patted it softly to calm it down. "If he is here, then I will find him. I will find the keeper."

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It had been a long day. Even longer for the triplets. They still shuddered at the thought of the bitter food they had to eat if they didn't want to starve.

"We should have eaten more yesterday." Aaron muttered patting his belly.

Danny growled annoyed. "If I get the person responsible for this he or she will regret it…"

"… And you will never be able to eat properly."

The triplets turned around to face Sam. She was leaning against the wall, arms crossed before her chest, smirking at them in superiority.

Danny's eyes widened. "You!"  
Sam nodded gracefully. "An eye for an eye. Taste for smell, water for colour. And I have more possibilities to make your lives a misery than you can imagine. Now tell me, do you want war or do you want peace?"

Danny frowned. "How…?"

"Powder in your drinking water. Normally meant to help people to slim down, or to stop drinking alcohol and things like that."

The triplets stared at her in shock. Suddenly a realisation hit Danny. "Alcohol. Do you want to tell me that you can use it in a way it only affects you when you are drinking alcohol? Wine for example."  
Sam frowned and nodded.

Danny started to grin. "I think I have an idea. How about an alliance?"

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I hope this chapter fulfils your expectations. I plan to update the next chapter soon.

To all of you a merry Christmas. ^_^ I wish you peaceful and happy holidays. (Mine are never peaceful. There is always somebody to cause trouble: I wonder who will be the troublemaker this year.)

Today I bought a Christmas tree. Normally it's my father's duty, but this year he is much too busy for it. [I was woken up with Christmas music (my mother tries to create a festive mood, no matter what it takes) and then I was told that I have to go and buy a tree. Lovely.] The seller at the Christmas fair was horrified with my high demands (a straight trunk, the branches not so close that you can't put any decoration on it). Finally I bought something new, a tree from the Asian region. The seller told me how lucky I was to get it for this low prize. Normally it was meant for another shop, which had higher prices. In other words: they couldn't sell it. It needs time to sell something new to the Bavarian population, especially here, near the Bavarian forest. Most people think, "we don't know it, we don't buy it." Now I have a really beautiful Christmas tree for 10 € lower than usual. ^_^ Ever tried to get a not so small tree on your backseat of a normal car? It is a very special experience.

This year I have to cook for five people and a dog. And concerning the fact that we will eat a duck the dog won't move away from the stove the whole day. We have three guests this year, each of them has trouble with their families (which are a plague) and we've invited them so they won't be alone. Four nice women at the age of my mother. Hopefully, one of them is able to play chess or willing to learn it, otherwise I will have to play with myself with my new chess game, because NONE of my relatives or friends know how to play it. I start to feel like an alien, everybody else only wants to play cards or stuff like that.

Maybe I will finish chapter 29 early enough to update it before the 24th. I have something special planned for it. AND I need some reason too hide from too much family activities. Everything can become too much.


	29. Growing Conflicts

Chapter 29:                                           **Growing Conflicts**

"How many?" Tabitha was staring out of the window without really seeing anything. Her thoughts were occupied with the news her commander had brought her.

"We weren't able to find out the correct number, yet. But it is only a matter of…"

"How is this possible?" The black-haired woman turned around, staring intently into the soldier's eyes. "We promised those people that they were safe in this valley. That my brother couldn't harm them, that he wouldn't find them. How did he find out about one of the safest places we were able offer to our people?"

The soldier gulped and lowered his head. "There must be a traitor in our lines. It could be … anybody…"

Tabitha slammed her fist and on the desk. "HOW is this POSSIBLE? WE are the WARRIOR CLAN! WE are supposed to PROTECT our PEOPLE and the ROYAL FAMILY! And we FAILED in both! OUR KING IS DEAD! OUR PEOPLE ARE SLAUGHTERED! BY OUR OWN MEN!" She breathed heavily and tried to calm down. "We have to face the truth. The clan has split up; we can't trust anybody. All we can do is find out whom we can still trust, and then I will hide with the rest of our loyal men. We will wait until the queen decides to come and fight him. That's the only option we have."

The commander looked up to her. "Do you really think the queen will fight him? It is against all of our laws..."

Tabitha clenched her fists. "I KNOW that! But he is breaking our laws as well! He has to be stopped!"  
"The other clans will never agree to a war. You know them. Especially the Religious Clan. The Scholar Clan is also very difficult in such cases."

"But we will have the Worker Clan on our side. It's their people who are slaughtered. And it's the biggest of all five."

"But without the agreement of the queen they won't be able to do anything. And she will listen to her advisers, who are the clan leaders. And your position is too weak. The Warrior Clan isn't trustworthy enough, anymore. She won't listen to you. Priestess Galina is a Chosen One. The only Chosen One in our time. Her influence is much higher than yours is. And by our law we are not allowed to interfere in the other peoples affairs."

"This is our affair as well. He is one of us."

"But the people, the nobility and the actual king of this country have given him his actual position. They are supporting him. If we fight him, we fight the whole country, and that would be against our law. Even if we were supported by these people, even if they wanted to get rid of him, it's still their affair, their problem, and we are not allowed to do anything. Our laws are older then any others known by men. They have been in force for centuries. Only a new Impress could change them, and I really doubt that our actual queen will turn out to be the new Impress. There has only been one in the long history of our people. One in centuries. Do you really think a new Impress would be born in our time, to change the ways of our people? This is not likely. Have you ever met the queen? What kind of person is she?"

Tabitha shook her head. "I've never met her in my life. My brother used to see her, when he visited the king. He and Galina are the only people I know who know for sure how she looks. Galina didn't tell me where to find her. It would be too dangerous. The same goes for the keeper. She didn't even tell me if it's a man or a woman. I can't say how powerful our queen really is. Neither can I say something about the keeper. And you know the queen is only as strong as her keeper is. Only if she can trust the keeper completely does she has a chance. But she is still the only hope we have. Maybe we can influence the keeper to stand up for our position. Galina told me that his family has been killed by my brother, you know, during the revolution, about eight years ago."

"But if the queen and the keeper don't work hand in hand, the whole clan system could be in danger. We could blow up our own culture by trying to save it. You have to be very careful with your actions."

Tabitha lifted her chin in a proud gesture. "I won't let my daughter grow up in circumstances like that. If our culture is determined to go down, so mote it be. But I won't stand by and watch the murder of innocent people. If it is necessary I will fight the destiny, no matter what it takes."

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"I thought I would die during the first week. The training, the classes … I could hardly stay awake. Now we are three weeks at the palace, and I feel a bit better with it." Imo was smiling happily. She felt comfortable here at the palace. More comfortable than she thought she would be.

Deli giggled. "Oh, yeah! It's kinda great here. Bery is really nice. She told me things about Colin and Quentin … oh I will have my sweet time using them against my dear friends."

Lee frowned. "Are you related to those two?"

Deli shrugged. "Not really, we have some ancestors in common. But their fief is next to ours and so our families are in a very close contact. I grew up with them. I enjoy teasing them."

Imo grinned wide. "I know what you mean. I would really like to do the same with Aaron, but I have to face all three of them if I want to play a trick on him. They are very careful lately. And I think they have something planned. Something huge."

Lee smiled secretly. _'Yup. Huge is the right thing. If they get caught they are in trouble.'_

Deli scratched her head. "I think you could be right. What do you think, Gor?"

The other first year page, Gordon of Ice River, who had been surprisingly sponsored by Mo, was walking with them, listening intently. He felt quite comfortable, being the only boy in this circle. He had soon found out that the girls and their friends were friendly and fair, opposite to most other people he had known.

Life was a bit difficult for him. His father was a lord of the northern region; his family wasn't that old but respected, until the day his father fell in love with a commoner. She was a dark haired and dark skinned beauty, a descendent of the Bazhir. She had been a member of a dancing group, which travelled around in the Eastern Lands. And out of all women available, Lord Gregorion of Ice River had to chose this one.

Gordon was proud of his mother and his heritage. He didn't mind that everybody could find out it by just looking at him. He had a darker skin than most of the other nobles, not as dark as his mother's, but dark enough for everybody to notice. His hair was also black, only his eyes had his father's ice blue colour, which intensified the darkness of his outer appearance even more.

And so everybody with prejudices was able to detect his heritage easily, and so he had a hard time finding real friends, who weren't either forbidden to be with by their parents or only pretended to be his friends to be able to make fun of him. But the fact that Mo had sponsored him immediately when she noticed the other pages hesitation and the openness of her friends had surprised him. And after a while he got used to the fact that he wasn't something that special in this circle. Each of the girls weren't an accepted part of the society; they were also looked down upon by conservatives. It had different reasons, but the results were the same.

Gordon grinned and thought about his friend's question. "If the triplets are planning something without letting slip a single word, it must be more than huge. But I wonder…"

"You wonder what?" Lee looked at him questioningly.

Gor shook his head. "I didn't get the impression that the triplets, especially Danny, would give up very easy. Not when they are the tricked. And I still remember how angry they had been because of the tricks played on them. But now … silence. The don't complain, they don't threaten the unknown guy who played these tricks to them, nothing. That irritates me a bit."

_'I hope they don't get suspicious before time.'_ Lee watched the others carefully. "I think we don't have to wait very long. Sam told me that the triplets aren't very patient. When they do something they do it quick and immediately."

Imo nodded. "That's what I've also heard about them. I guess we will just have to wait and watch. By the way, how is she?"

"Huh?" Lee blinked confused. "Who?"

Imo rolled her eyes. "Sam of course. I heard that she…"

"… is a silly wench who has to be thrown back were she belong." Out of a shadow a boy with black hair and blue green eyes approached them. He had a sly grin on his face and was watching them like a hunter his caught prey.

The four first years found themselves encircled by three other boys, obviously squires like their speaker.

"I don't get the impression that they want to make friendly small talk." Deli whispered worriedly to her friends.

The others nodded in agreement.

The leader snorted and pointed towards Gor. "Boy. You can go. We have to talk to these … ladies about proper behaviour. This doesn't concern you."

Gor narrowed his eyes in fury. "They are my friends. Of course it concerns me! Who are you?"

The black haired boy chuckled evilly. "Oh, were are my manners. I'm Damian of Windshole."

The girls gasped at this name.

Damian seemed pleased by their reaction. "I see, you've heard about me. Fine. This make things easier … for me."

He fixed is eyes on Lee. "Are you Aileen of Silversea?"

The girl nodded gracefully, trying to appear braver than she really felt.

Damian smirked and stared into her eyes. "I have a little present for my dear friend Sam. Would you be so kind giving it to her." He lifted his arm to slap her. "Or better showing it to her." He was about to hit her when his arm was caught in mid-air. He heard somebody saying. "Why don't you give it directly to me?" Caught off guard he was pushed away from the girl forcefully, stumbling backwards. When he got his balance back he looked up again, now faced by another girl with moss green eyes. He looked around. Not only Sam had joined their little meeting; there were also Quentin, Mo and Aaron beside their first years. He turned back to Sam and their eyes locked. Oh how he hated those eye. They made him feel so stupid and weak.

One of the other boys looked angrily at the newcomers and hissed: "How did you know where to find us?"  
"We got a tip, Ruben." Aaron glared back to the boy, daring him to start an attack. _~ Sisters! There is trouble. Fetch the others and come. ~_

The other boy frowned. "By whom?"

"What do you think."

Damian heard a familiar male voice behind him, but he didn't move his eyes away from Sam's.

Ruben hissed in disgust. "Malven!"

The man was standing in the shadows, watching the scene in front of him. He stared intently at the blonde page with the moss green eyes and whispered: "Show me what you are capable of, little one."

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Kalle has offered me to correct my chapters. I want to thank her for the afford of correcting my work. I'm very thankful for it, and I want everybody to know that it's not owing to me that there are no grammar mistakes anymore, at least in those chapters she has corrected. I'm still not that good in English and I'm happy that, thanks to her, my fanfic is becoming better now. 


	30. Caught

Hello and happy new year all together. (I know I'm late.)

Sorry it took so long, but I'm busy with school lately. I had several tests the week after the holidays. And I have a lot of things to learn. It is my last year at school and I might be too busy to update regularly. I will try my best to update at least once a week, but don't be angry when I need more time.

Okay, how did you get the idea that Nat could become bad? Is if I would be THAT cruel. Me? Cruel? Never! He, he …. but …. well …. hm …. good idea. I will think about it. He, he. Let's see … ^_^

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Chapter 30:                             **Caught**

Damian could have laughed. Of course it had to be Nathan of Malven, his everlasting problem. He had thought it would be easy to get Sam by using that Silversea girl. Just like he had tried it with Mo the year before. A nice little fight, that was all he wanted. Well, maybe not so little and sure as hell not nice. He had trained hard and he wanted to show her where she belonged. He narrowed his eyes and stared intently at his opponent. She looked calmly back at him. Not a single sign of worry, fear or hate. She was prepared for an attack, that was clear, but she didn't seem to be afraid of him. _'I will make you hate me. I swear it. You will soon hate me, Samira of Pinehollow.'_

Suddenly the boys noticed the noises of footsteps. There were people coming. Fast. Kajus moved towards Damian and whispered. "We have to go or we will be in trouble."  
Damian growled lightly. "Fine! We're going now. But .…" He stepped closer towards Sam, so close that their noses nearly touched. "…. this is not the end. I will get you and your pitiful friends."

Sam didn't even blink. She kept her face even and unreadable.

The attackers turned around and ran away. A moment later Danny, Milan, Feli and Lachran arrived, gasping for air.

Danny looked around in worry. "Ria is searching for the rest. What happened?"

Aaron growled. "We had a little meeting with our beloved three 'friends' and somebody I didn't recognise."

Nat stepped closer to the group. "The blonde boy was Dylan of Tioran. Damian's father is his knightmaster."

Danny stared at him in surprise. "Look what the cat has dragged in. Welcome home Malven. How are you?"

Nat glared at her warily. "Peaceful, lately. I guess you are planning to change this."

 "Me? How did you get THAT idea?" Danny looked much too innocent for Nat's taste.

Now the rest of the group started to greet Nat. All except for …

"Well, it seems that we're out of trouble, for now." Lachran felt relieved, at least no fights today. But when his eyes halted at Sam, he changed his opinion. He gulped. 'Nat won't survive this day. Okay, now I have to find a way to get out of this without getting involved.'

Nat noticed Lachran's distraction and searched for the source. He gulped.

Sam was glaring at him, her head lowered with a deep frown on her face. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and her right foot was tapping on the floor. Behind her Lee stared at the scene with widened eyes. _'I guess I know now why she's so feared. Poor boy.'  
_Gor felt a hand on his shoulder and heard Mo whisper: "Follow me, as inconspicuous as possible."

Gor frowned, confused and whispered back. "Why?"  
"Trust me. If you love your life, run boy."

Suddenly Danny was shouting. "Oh, how could I forget this. We have a …. uhm .… meeting .…yeah .… with .… the others. Come on, guys, we have to go."

"Meeting?" Lachran questioned, only to be elbowed by Feli. "Ah .… that meeting. Yeah, let's go."

The others nodded relieved to have an excuse and followed her quickly.

Sam was walking slowly towards Nat, glaring intently at him.

Nat started to stammer. "Sam, please, let me explain.…"

"Explain WHAT? One letter. One single, pitiful letter, since we've separated. Oh and what a letter. Do you know how much I worried about you? God knows what could have happened to you, not being able to write. Damn you, Nat, you …" Sam started cursing him in the most colourful words she could imagine, setting free all the strain and worry she had hidden in her heart. "If you ever dare doing this again to me .… you will regret it, I swear. I will make you regret it more than you can ever imagine, every single day of your life."

Nat nodded repentant and lowered his head, looking like a little boy. Then he eyed her carefully and started to grin. "Missed me?"

Sam shot another death glare at him, murmuring silent curses. Then she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and whispered: "Like hell."

Smiling Nat returned the hug, feeling relieved to be together with her again. "I have a lot of things to tell you."

"I hope that for your sake."

The man in the shadows sighed disappointed. _'What a pity. I thought I would see her fighting abilities today. No such luck. Well, at least I've finally found her. My master was becoming impatient.'_ He smirked. _'And now I know how to get hold of her.'_

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A week went by. Nat's return seemed to lighten not only Sam's mood immensely, but the whole group seemed to be happier. It hadn't been the same without both of them, Sam and Nat, brooding in a corner of the room. Bery said it had something to do with contrasts. Everything seems lighter when you have darkness to compare it to.

At the beginning, Lee had been a bit unsure about her position when the famous Nathan of Malven reappeared, but after some time she got used to his presence. She found out that he was kind and caring, just in his own way. And Sam's attitude didn't seem to change towards her, so everything turned out just fine.

Surprisingly for the other pages, it happened that Sam, Nat and Lee had been seen discussing with the triplets quite often. More often than usually. Even Cori didn't know the reasons. Everybody stayed attentive, expecting the big trick from the triplets at every minute.

There were hardly any fights with Damian and his friends anymore. They kept quiet. But Sam knew that Damian was only waiting …. for her.

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Sam was entering the dark hall without making any noise. She looked around and tried to scan the area around her as well as possible. She heard somebody breathing, moving.

Damian came towards her, smirking nastily. "I knew you would come here."

"And I knew you would await me here. Do you want to make this a tradition?" She was staring intently at him, prepared for an attack at every second.

He chuckled darkly. "No. This will be the last time."

Sam shook her head. "If you wanted me to beat you up, you only had to tell me. It was not necessary to beat up Lee."

He simply shrugged. "Why change when it still works the good old way. You got the message, didn't you? Get ready for the beating of your life."

Suddenly Sam felt very uncomfortable. Not because of Damian's empty treats. She was used to them. No, there was something else. She felt eyes on her. Many foreign eyes. _'The shadows are moving. Are we really alone?'_ She stepped closer towards Damian, glaring angrily at him. "Who have you brought with you?"

A startled expression appeared on Damian's face. "I don't need any help. I'm not afraid of a fight with you. We are alone."

Sam knew he wasn't lying. Inside his twisted head there was still some kind of honour when it came to her. Somehow she knew that he wanted to beat her himself. It was their fight, nobody else had to know about their meetings. He might use other people to get to her, but when it came, he faced her alone.

Damian frowned at her. She acted strange. She seemed worried. She was never worried when they fought. He noticed that she scanned the hall repeatedly. _'She isn't worried because of me. Why else?'_

Sam felt fear coming up her spine, alarming her senses and filling her whole body with excitement. She slowly backed away from Damian towards the door, always scanning her surroundings.

"Damian!" Her voice was nothing but a mere whisper.

"What?" Damian didn't know why, but he whispered as well, becoming worried by her strange behaviour. He followed her slowly, looking around in order to find the source of her worry.

"We are not alone." Sam froze when she heard a nearly inaudible noise. Her eyes widened in realisation. "RUN!" She run ran towards the door until she heard a noise behind her. She turned around and saw Damian lying on the floor, dark figures surrounding him. Suddenly she felt an impact at her neck and everything went dark.

One of the dark figures kneeled next to her and looked intently at her face, touching her cheek  with his finger. "We have to get her out of here without any audience."

"What shall we do with him?"

"He doesn't matter. Leave him where he is." He smiled lightly. "She is younger than I thought."

One of the men stepped closer. "Is it really her? She seems so …. vulnerable. She is just a child."

The other man nodded seriously. "That's what everybody is thinking. But she's more. Much more. Come on, we have to hurry. Our master is waiting."

The men gasped. "He's here?"

Their leader nodded. "I contacted him as soon as I found her. He was on a trip near Tortall. He was able to arrive this morning. He told me to bring her to him immediately. Luckily her conflict with that boy gave us the opportunity we needed."

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I will write more about Nat's knightmaster and the triplet's plans in later chapters. Don't worry.


	31. Adrian

Hey, I'm back. Sorry for the cliffy in the last chapter but the situation nearly screamed for it. He, he… I love cliffys.

I wasn't be able to write much this weekend, because our school ball took place this weekend and my class had to organise it. Thursday and Friday we had to set up, Friday evening at 8 o'clock p.m. the whole thing started, until 4 o'clock in the morning. Normally I only had to be at the wardrobe from 10 o'clock p.m. until midnight, but there were so many people (3000 at all, I was told), that I helped out another hour at the wardrobe and then for the rest of the night at one of the bars. Of course it had to be the bar next to the DJ. Everything vibrated because of the bass. I quickly got a sore throat because you had to scream to be heard. But drunken people are quite an interesting species; I could see how hard it was for them to decide in which of my three outstretched hands they should put the money. I'm always surprised how much alcohol you can get into one single human body, like they want to replace their blood with alcohol. Saturday at 3 o'clock p.m. we all had to come back to clean the whole mess up. But everybody liked our ball and said that we set new standards and that it was the best ball ever. We had great music, great decoration and a security team which didn't get drunk themselves.

But now I feel more than sick. I didn't drink alcohol myself but I caught a cold on Saturday because they opened all the doors in the hall and it was freezing. By the way there are two inventions, which in my opinion are the most important in the whole human history: The bed and the bathtub. They might be simple, but they work.

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Chapter 31:                             **Adrian******

She felt dried out. Her head was throbbing and spinning. She groaned lightly and tried to open her eyes. It was fairly dark around her. She had problems to make out anything around her. Her actual physical status didn't help either. She heard a noise in front of her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and stared at the man standing above her. She noticed her hands and feet were tied together. She frowned at that. _'What has happened?'_ Then suddenly her memory came back, Damian, the moving shadows, the men. She stared up at the man who stared intently at her. She knew she was at his mercy. She was tied down, not able to move and she didn't have any magic to protect her. Also, nobody knew what happened to her. She felt the fear collecting in her stomach and tried to prevent her body from trembling in fear. She had to be strong, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction to seeing her afraid of him.

The man knelt down next to her. "How do you feel?"

Sam frowned and glared angrily at him. "What have you done to Damian?"  
The man didn't move. "Damian? Is that that arrogant noble boy who thought he would be able to beat you? My men just knocked him out. They didn't harm him."

Sam eyed him carefully. How should she know he told the truth? She couldn't even see his features or eyes, not to mention trying to read his facial expression.

"You don't have any other choice than believing me. I wanted you, and only you. There was no need to harm anybody else. It would have drawn too much attention to me and my men."

"What do you want?" she hissed.

The man took her chin with his hand and moved her face to face his. "I want answers. The truth. No lies. If you tell me what I want to know this will be over for you soon."

Sam narrowed her eyes. "Tell me one single reason I should tell you anything."

The man reached at his side and took something from his belt. A knife.

Sam froze and stared at the weapon moving towards her. Her whole world focused on this one thing in that moment and she felt the fear in her stomach becoming more and more intense, flooding over her whole body, setting it in alarm, and the knowledge of her helpless status made it more intense than ever before.

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Damian woke up groaning. He felt as cold as ice and he was lying on something hard, definitely not his bed. It took him some time to comprehend were he was.

_'What happened? The last thing I remember was Sam. I must have been knocked out from behind.'_

He tried to stand up and felt like vomiting any minute. He had been hit really hard. His eyes scanned the hall and he noticed that he was alone. Then suddenly an idea came to his clouded mind.

_'No. That can't be. She wouldn't… She brought some friends with her and they knocked me out from behind. That wench. How dare she… She will pay. Until now I tried to be fair, but that's finished. From now on things are becoming serious.'_

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Sam was staring at the man intently, rubbing her wrists to get some feeling into her numb hands. He had put his knife back into his belt and was waiting for her to get up. She slowly raised and waited for his next action. He turned around and walked out of the only door of this dark chamber. After some hesitation Sam decided to follow him. Whatever was going on here, she wouldn't find any way out of her situation by staying here in the dark. She went after him and exited the darkness into the light.

The blinked at the sudden change and her eyes tried to get used to the bright light. She found the man staring at her intensely. His moss green eyes locking with her own. She gasped and felt her body go stiff in shock. "You are a clan leader, aren't you?"

He was young, with short black hair and soft features. But his gaze and stance showed his strain. He studied her face and nodded.

She narrowed her eyes and eyed him carefully. "Who are you?"

The man seemed to battle with himself. "That isn't important at the moment. Before I tell you anything I want you to tell me your name first."

Sam frowned. "MY NAME? You kidnapped me without even knowing my NAME?"

"I know who you pretend to be. I want your REAL name. Who is your father? Tell me!"  
He hissed.

Sam was taken aback by his questions. She stared at him, wondering if she should tell him the truth or not. "Why should I? How shall I know that you aren't a traitor as well?"

The man shook his head. "I know that it is hard to trust anybody in our time, but if you can't trust me anymore, one of your kind, who else?"

Sam glared at him and lowered her head. He was right. She was at his mercy right now, and if she couldn't even trust him… "I'm Samira of. …. Oakswood. My father was Sir Allister of Oakswood."

"Then it is true. You are…" The man's face seemed to lighten up a bit. "My name is Adrian Kayne. I'm the head of the Worker Clan. I came here to see you. I came to meet the keeper of the holy sword."

Sam looked up again. "You've found me. You know who I am. And you know the danger that you put me in by kidnapping me and drawing attention to me. So now tell me what do you want."

The man looked at her seriously. "Yes, I know who you are. I assure you that I never would endanger YOU. But I need to know some things. I need to know what awaits my people, my clan. And I don't want to listen to the half-truths of the other clans anymore." He stepped closer and whispered. "I need to know it, your highness, why do you let him continue killing our people?"

Sam stared back into his eyes. She saw the pain lingering in them. The man in front her was honest, he was here to find out how the future of his clan would look like. "I know exactly what you want. You want me to make a decision, right here and right now. You want me to decide against the centuries-old laws of our people. You want me to… start a war."

The man just stared at her. He wanted an answer, and he wouldn't go until he got one. In front of him was the last hope he had for his clan. Yes, she was young, but she would grow up soon and she would have the power to decide the destiny of his people. He had searched for help at every other clan, with no success.

Sam couldn't stand those eyes anymore. She turned around, rubbed her eyes and tried to calm down. She noticed for the first time that she was in a quite comfortable living room. She walked towards an armchair, sat down and buried her face in her hands. She had known this day would come. The day she had to decide which side to choose. She whispered just loud enough for Adrian to hear. "How can I decide something like that? What right to I have to decide between life or death?"

"It is your duty and your right, given to you at the day of your birth. Like me, you don't really have a choice when it comes your place in society. But it is in your hands HOW to fulfil your duty."

Sam looked up and found Adrian kneeling in front of her, staring at her pleadingly.

"I know it is hard, I know what the other clans expect from you, but PLEASE think about it. You don't have to go with the old ways; you are a new generation. I know my clan didn't play a very important role in the past, but I beg you, please, save my people. The traitor is slaughtering them. They can't defend themselves. Only you can help them."

"But even if I did decide to fight him… who would follow me? The other clans would refuse to help me break the laws. And I can't fight against a whole army alone."

Adrian took her hand and leaned forward. "You won't be alone. My people will follow you. They will follow the one who is willing to lead them back to their freedom. And there are some members of the other clans who aren't happy with the actual circumstances either. We could meet their leaders. There is a village near this palace, in the Royal Forest. Our people newly build it. There we could meet. We could talk, make plans…. I only need to know, are you willing to lead us? We need you my lady." He straightened his back and waited for the answer with pleading eyes.

Sam stared at him and whispered: "Do you know what you are asking from me?" Now she leaned forward. "If I face him, if I decide to fight him… I will die. I've seen it in my dreams. I had visions of it. I know it. When I go home and try to kill him I will die by his hand. And with me my line will die out and all hope of our people will be gone as well."

Adrian looked shocked. "You… had visions… about your death? When?"  
"Since I was five years old. Regularly. Up until I lost my magic."

Adrian felt pity rising in him. Seeing your own death when you are only a mere child. He felt bad asking so much from her. He had already felt bad when his men had brought her. She was so young, so innocent, and so vulnerable. And here he was asking a 13-year-old girl to die for him and his clan only because she was born into the wrong family at the wrong time. Just because everybody else who could have been able to take her place had already died while trying to.

Sam watched the emotion on his face change, she knew he understood her, understood what he had asked for. She saw the pity and the helplessness. He was young, in his late twenties, if she guessed right. _'It isn't right that so much responsibility is put on the shoulders of a few people. But there is nothing I can do about it. And I can hardly expect other to do things I'm not willing to do.'_ She sighed and put her hand on his cheek. She suddenly felt old and tired, but determined.

"The reason I came to the palace to become a knight is because I wanted to achieve at least one thing that wasn't dictated to me by destiny. One thing I can be proud of. And it was a possibility to prepare myself for the upcoming fight."

Adrian's eyes grew huge with realisation.

Sam nodded. "The Chamber of Ordeal will decide which path our people will go in future. I decided long ago that I will fight the murderer of my family and my people. No matter what Galina says. If I survive the Chamber I will act like a knight and protect the weak and helpless. We created this monster and we will fight it. No matter what price I have to pay, I won't stand by watching him destroy the lives of the innocent. Not as long as I am still alive. But I will only fight against him and the other traitors of the Warrior Clan. It is not our duty to free the whole country from the false king they supported too eagerly. This is only between our people. I can't do more than that."

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Well, that's it for today. What do you think about it? You didn't expect me to let Sam be caught so early, did you?

I still have to think of a name for the new country where Sam comes from. Let's see what my mind spills out.

Thank you for the many reviews. I loved them. I thought if you could take the time to write them, I can take the time answering them.

**Myfanwy:**       I'm glad you like my story. I already have a beta- reader, but thank you for offering to. Kalle is about to correct my old chapters and I will replace them as soon as she's finished.

**Lady Rhian:**   I think it will take some more time to finish this. I never thought it would be so successful or so long. But I've decided to shorten their time as squires a bit, so it won't take an eternity until it ends.

**kaiken:**           Don't be worried. I'll finish this, even if it kills me.

**Keziah:**           I think there are more than a lot of chapters left. Even if I shorten the squire years, there is still so much I want to write. I wouldn't be surprised if I have double the number of chapters until the end.

**ggg:**     OK, OK, it was just a joke. Not even I would be that cruel. I already have plans with Nat. Him being evil doesn't fit in the plot.

**tbiris:**              I know it's about time she gets her magic back. It will happen soon. I promise! But if I give it back to her too soon the whole plot won't work.


	32. Duncan, the ladykiller

Happy Valentine's Day. Here is my gift for you: A new chapter! Tomorrow is my birthday and I would love to get some reviews then. ^_~

Sorry this chapter took so long. I had a lot of work to do for school AND I've started another fanfic. It's called 'The Message' and is a completely new and different story and the first part of my new series (new, hmphf, it's my first) that is called 'Four Elements'. It will consist of four parts in total, if everything works the way I plan.

It's about the squire Tiuri who gets the duty to bring a letter to King Jonathan. Tiuri lives in Maren and was about to be knighted, but he had to leave, because of the letter, the night he should have entered the Chamber of Ordeal. There are enemies who want the letter and who are willing to kill him to get it. But of course he will get some help ….. girl power of course.

This story will turn out to be much more complex than it seems at the beginning. An old enemy has left something that will cause much trouble for Tortall.

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Chapter 32:                                           **Duncan, the Lady-killer**

Sam was sitting on the table, waiting for her friends to join her for breakfast. Her head was buried in her hands and she groaned from time to time. _'The whole night without sleep. I won't survive this day. Maybe I should have accepted Adrian's offer to knock me unconscious to pretend I had a fight. But I would have been punished. I don't want to meet Master Oaksbridge as often as last year.' _She shuddered lightly. _'Oh damn that idiot! Of course he had to kidnap me at such an ungodly hour. Couldn't he have kidnapped me after I got my sleep? But no, mister I'm-an-important-clan-leader had to do it NOW, when he felt like it. I feel the urge to kill something ….. or somebody.'_

She looked up and glared around.  _'I didn't train with the others this morning. I have to think of how to explain this to them. I hope they didn't look into my room. Well, I'll have to wait and see what they say. I hope they don't pester me that much about it. Well, on the other hand ….. it would give me a pleasant excuse for killing someone.' _She smirked.

More and more pages filled the room. Some looked strangely at Sam. It wasn't normal to see her alone. The other pages had always wondered how so many people could always surround somebody who was so cold. Sam and her friends were a close group of friends and held together. It didn't mean that they didn't have contact or friendships with people outside of the group, but the strongest bonds were between the group-members themselves. Some of the other pages were a bit jealous and felt shut out. Especially at Sam, who seemed to be able to cause loyalty in the most different sorts of people. Of course it seemed normal that her cousins, Cori and Feli felt that kind of loyalty for her cousin, being her relatives. But Nathan of Malven had never been a person who wanted close contact to others, but when it came to her he acted completely different. Since she was here he had changed for the better. And Lee seemed to be a quite shy and sensible kind of person, but still she seemed to become a very close friend to Sam.

Sam had closed her eyes again and sighed heavily. Suddenly she felt an eruption next to her, on her right side. Then another on her left side, and she felt somebody taking a place in front of her. She slowly opened one eye and groaned at the sight. "What's the matter?"

The triplets grinned at her annoyed voice. It was much too easy to get on her nerves. She was a really tempting victim ….. if she didn't have the tendency to pay them back because of everything they did to her.

Danny sighed and started. "Today is the day. Phase one is starting. Remember now?"

Sam needed some time to comprehend what she had just heard. It was like having a split personality, like living two lives, which couldn't be more different. "Yes, I remember. I hope you remember as well what we've spoken about. If you make a mistake, we are doomed. The punishment will be more than any of us has ever received. If the King decides to join us for dinner and you make a mistake ….. we are doomed."

Aaron groaned. "We know that. You've told us so many times already. There won't be any mistakes. We've practised, you know. We are prepared. You forced us to wait so long, but now it has been long enough. By the way, you look horrible. Where were you this morning?"

Sam narrowed her eyes and glared at him, tempted to bite his head of. _'I must keep myself under control, otherwise I will do something I might regret later.'_

Aaron stared, irritated at her. He didn't know the reason why she didn't answer him, but he felt more than uncomfortable under her gaze. She seemed to wonder at the moment which way to kill him. _'Oh, someone is moody today. I will stay the hell away from her. Maybe she's having ….. woman's problems. Danny and Ria are this way when they get it. Not to mention mum.'_ He shuddered lightly. _'Dad told me to avoid any conflict or discussion when they are at that state. I guess I'll follow his advice. He said, no matter how right I might be, I will never win a debate. Girls are really difficult.'_

_~ HEY! ~_

_'Oops.'_

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Ria studied Lord Padraig's face and tried not to grin. She had to serve him during dinner tonight. Oh and how she would serve him. He didn't know it yet, but this would be the last glass of wine for him for a long, LONG time.

When she had fulfilled her duty she was allowed to go with her friends to eat herself. Her siblings eyed her attentively with a question shining in their eyes. She nodded and the three grinned evilly_. ~ The powder is in his meal, mixed with the soup. He won't notice it. Well, not yet, anyway. ~ _Her siblings snickered. The other pages started to eye them warily.

_~ Sam's plan is great. We put some of this lovely powder in his meals, and it will show its effect on the following days. They can't accuse us of being the reason he can't drink wine anymore. The wine is just fine, and everybody else who tastes it won't think its bitter, or sour, or sharp, or whatever flavour it will develop. We're even doing him a favour. Alcohol isn't good for his health. ~_

_~ Yep. Phase one has started. Oh, I really would like to see his face when the effect starts to show. When do we start phase two? ~_

_~ Depends on how phase one is working. ~_

The three grinned at each other triumphantly.

Suddenly Milan stopped eating and glared at the three. "OK. That's it. You tell me immediately what you three are planning. I know that face of yours. Every time you grin like that, we are in a hell of a lot of trouble. Spill it."

The three blinked innocently and chorused. "We? Planning something? Never!"

All the others frowned at them.

"If anything happens to me, you three will pay dearly!" Bery exclaimed.

Danny put her hands to her chest and pretended to be shocked. "Why would you think that of us? We would never ever play a trick on you."

Bery growled lightly. "I thought you would have learned your lesson after being the one who was tricked. I remember that you weren't very happy being the victim yourselves."

Aaron smirked at her words. "Believe me, Bery, we have learned. We have learned a lot."

Sam and Feli exchanged a knowing look.

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_'I'm NEVER to be controlled. I'm free. I'm strong. They want to control me? COME HERE AND TRY IT! I'm a warrior! I'm a mage! My body and soul are sacred. It is my WILL that will form the future. It is only MY will that can stop the destiny from erasing us. They think they can tame me? They think they can tell me what to do?  I AM THEIR QUEEN, DAMN IT! How dare they! Under normal circumstances I might not have any power, but in this time, everything is completely different.'_

She glared at the letters in her hands, her moss green eyes burning in anger.

_'I am the queen, the leader of the Royal Clan. And the Priestess is trying to influence me in my judgement. She is trying to have influence in a region she was never meant to have influence in. I've made a decision and they all have to live with it. I won't repeat the mistakes of my ancestors. I won't leave my people to be killed, even if it requires the highest price, my life. I know that I'm the last of my line. I know that there is nobody else who can take my place. I know that when my family dies out the hope that my culture will survive is gone. But do we really have the right to put our lives and culture above the others, above the younger peoples? If we are determined to come to an end, we don't have to take the others with us.'_

She felt another wave of anger rising within her.

_'They can't really expect me to stand by, doing nothing. That's what we've done for centuries. Watching, observing, feeling pity, doing nothing, for centuries.'_

She stared at a map next to her.  
_'Tortall ….. Unauwen. Two completely different countries. Both endangered because of his wish for power. His will to find the Holy Sword will lead him sooner or later to its keeper. Oh, what a cruel irony! The queen is just as strong as the keeper. My ancestors must be laughing at me. Never in the whole history has something like this happened. What a cruel joke.'_

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Swords were buzzing in the first rays of the morning sun. The blond page and the older squire were fighting each other with all the skills they possessed. Nat really tried to find the weak points in Sam's defence, but wherever he tried to hit, there was always a blade blocking his own, while the other one came dangerously near to his own body.

_'She is so damned fast. Sometimes her blade is only a blur, nearly invisible. I'm glad we agreed not to use any kicks or other Shang tricks. Otherwise, I would have already bit the dust.'_ His concentration was only down for some seconds, but it was enough for Sam to notice a hole in his defence and to use it. When he felt her blade touching his belly and noticed that she was out of reach of his own swords, he cursed heartily.

Sam smiled at his backdown and removed her blade. "You know that you still use the sword in your left hand like you would use a shield. But it isn't there just to block my hits; it is another weapon. Use it. That's what makes this way of fighting so special. The possibility to distract the opponent with the one sword, while hitting him with the other."

Nat glared at her and snorted. "I KNOW that. My problem is not the theory but the realisation."

Sam couldn't help but laugh lightly at seeing him that upset about the fight. It was so good to have him back. She looked up at his ice-blue eyes.

"Have you finished? I'm glad to be such a source of amusement. Could we please return to my problem?"

Sam grinned broadly at him and put her swords back in the sheaths, which were crossed behind her back. "Your problem is that you have to lighten up."  
"Look who's talking …" he murmured, but stopped when she came near to him, rose to her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. He stared at her, blushing crimson, mouth open in surprise.

"You will learn it. I know it." She said with tenderness in her eyes, smiling softly at him.

He couldn't help but smile back at her. "What? Fighting or lightening up?"

"Do I disturb you two lovebirds?"

Both turned their heads to face the intruder. Sam eyed the man in front of her warily. He had black hair and a thin moustache. He looked like the typical lady-killer, his clothes chosen carefully to impress the other sex. Mostly black or brown, matching his hair and eyes, consisting of the finest material for sale, covered with excellent embroidery. Sam noticed a playful glitter in the man's dark brown eyes. He smiled openly at her. He couldn't be more than thirty.

The man came towards her and bowed playfully, taking her hand to place a soft kiss on its backside. "May I introduce myself, my fair lady. I'm Sir Duncan of Snowshill. Your most obedient servant."

Sam raised an eyebrow sceptically and removed her hand from his grasp carefully. _'Now I know why he didn't tell me much about his knightmaster. A playboy.'_

Nat seemed to feel a bit uncomfortable. _'Oh, can't he just hold back in front of her? Oh my gods, I'll never hear the end of it when he goes on like this. She'll make me pay.'_

When she didn't answer Sir Duncan continued. "You must be the famous Samira of Pinehollow. I've heard a lot about you."

"Is that so?" Sam threw a look at Nat, who shifted uncomfortably.

Sir Duncan laughed, amused at this display. "My squire doesn't talk a lot, but when he does, it's mostly about you. When we arrived here he couldn't wait to see you. And now he comes here at such an ungodly hour, every morning, to train with you. I have to admit that I became curious. A very interesting technique you use, my dear. I've never seen such a thing. Would you mind giving me a try? I would really like to know how I could hold myself against two swords by using only one."

A smile crept on Sam's face. "Of course. I would feel honoured, Sir."

Sir Duncan didn't seem to notice the dangerous glitter in her eyes. He smiled happily and started to remove some of his clothes, which would disturb him while fighting.

Nat stared at Sam who made some stretches, and then at his knightmaster, who seemed oblivious to the difficulties he had brought upon himself. When Duncan started his own stretches Nat stood next to him, worried. "Uhmm. Sir?"

"What is it, Nat. Just spill it." Duncan smiled friendly at him.

"Sir, I don't think that it is a good idea to use only one sword against her."

"Do you think I will loose?" Duncan looked attentively at him.

Nat hesitated a moment. "Maybe, if you don't pay enough attention, sir."

Duncan sighed. "It's possible. I haven't ever fought against someone who used two swords, but there might come a day when I will face someone like her on a battlefield. Now I have to chance to get used to this technique. If your friend agrees, we could train more often. I don't intend to become a blinded, selfcomplacent fool who thinks that he has already learned everything there is to learn about the art of fighting. I don't want to end up dead because I was too proud to learn when I had the chance to do so."

Nat stared, astonished at him. He sometimes didn't understand that man. On the one side, he seemed to be such a superficial player, whose weakest point was beautiful women, and lots of them. On the other side, he was always friendly and fair towards Nat, and a great fighter and trainer. He looked at Sam, who had heard everything thanks to her excellent hearing. She had a strange expression on her face, unreadable, even for him. Nat shook his head and offered his sword to the knight, who accepted it thankfully. "Good luck, sir. You'll need it."

"Thank you, boy. Now let's get started." He took a fighting stance in the middle of the court and waited for Sam to do the same.

She frowned and studied him intently. "Any rules?"

He shrugged. "No dirty tricks. That's all I think."

She frowned and eyed him again. "I think we shouldn't use any kicks and stuff like that. Only our swords."

Duncan smiled and nodded. "Perfectly fine with me."

Sam sighed, took her swords and began to circle around her opponent. Immediately her facial expression changed and she concentrated only on the fight.

Both opponents studied each other's movements, searching for a gap, a weakness, and a chance to hit.

Duncan waited for Sam to make the first move and was surprised at the girl's self-control. _'She isn't stupid. She waits for me to make the first move. I have to be careful. She knows what she's doing. Just like the boy. They are quite similar to each other. I wonder how close they really are. Well, let's see how fast the girl can react.'_

All of the sudden he pushed his sword forward, which was easily blocked by Sam's right blade. Using this distraction she quickly tried to get the tip of her second sword close to a vulnerable part of his body, to force him to give up. He jumped quickly out of her reach and faced a number of quick attacks with equally quick blocks. He had a hard time concentrating on both her blades, which moved in fast and flowing movements, harmonically and perfectly coordinated.

After some minutes both came to a halt, breathing fast.

_'She's fast, but there is not enough strength behind her attacks. Well, she's only thirteen years old and hasn't developed enough muscle mass yet. But for someone at her age she's very strong. Hell, I need to be careful.' _He noticed the smirk that had crept on Sam's face. _'What ….. ?' _Before he could finish his thought he had to block the blade coming towards him. The only thing he could do for some time was to block the quick combinations of attacks directed towards him. And all of a sudden his sword-arm was pushed aside and he felt the tip of a blade at his throat. He scanned his position. The girl had used his distraction, caused of her quick attacks, to bind his sword with her left one, to keep it aside, while her right sword quickly found its target. Now that he knew the move, he wouldn't fall for it a second time. And she knew it as well.

He breathed a sigh of relief when she removed her blade from his throat. A scar there would have looked bad. Well, on the other hand, maybe he would have looked even more dashing with it. "Thank you for the fight, Samira. It was very educating. If it doesn't bother you, I would really like to join both of you at these morning exercises."

Sam looked into his eyes and smirked. "If you wish so we would feel honoured for you to join us. But we won't be the only ones training here in the morning. Our friends join us usually. They already finished today. If you don't mind them to join us as well, you are welcome."

Duncan smiled at her. "I'd love to."

_'Sure you are.'_ Sam nodded. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now. It's nearly time for breakfast and Lord Padraigh is strict when it comes to punctuality." She nodded to Nat and went away.

Duncan looked after her until she was out of sight. He eyed Nat and grinned. "Did I interrupt you two at something?"

Nat blinked surprised and stared confused at him. "Huh?"

Duncan rolled his eyes and put an arm around the boy's shoulders. "If you need any advice, come to me. Believe me, I would be more than glad to give some of my experience to you young lad."

Nat's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No! It's not like that. We are friends. She is my best friend. We are not like that."

Duncan just grinned and said. "Maybe not now, but believe me, you two will grow older and your feelings towards the other sex will change. Have I ever told you about my first ….." Duncan started to tell the more than unwilling Nat the story of his first love, detailed and in a very flowery way.

Nat groaned inwardly. _'Oh, please gods, not again. How many first loves does this man have?'_

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Sam entered the dining hall just in time for breakfast. Before she could walk towards her friends' table, Lord Padraigh called her. She came to his table, wondering what he could want from her.

"Samira, come to me after dinner. We have to talk about something."

"Yes, my lord." She walked to the others, a confused expression on her face.

The triplets watched her worriedly when she sat down next to them.

"What did he want?" Ria whispered to her.

"He wanted me to come to him after dinner."

The three looked shocked. "Do you think he knows ….."

"I don't know. We'll see in time. Now don't draw too much attention towards us."

Sam gulped and knocked on the door. She heard Lord Padraig call out and entered the room.

He sat there, a glass of whine on his table and letter in his hand, watching her seriously. "Please sit down. Well, Samira, I've just received a letter from your uncle that says that you have some relatives who have just moved into a village close to the palace, in the Royal Forest. He asks me to let you visit them from time to time."

Sam nodded surprised. She didn't know what to say.

Lord Padraig eyed her, expecting some kind of answer. "According to the letter, they are related to you from your father's side. Isn't it strange for nobles to live in a village in a forest?" He took a sip of his wine and nearly choked.  
Sam tried to keep her face even and answered. "They prefer living in isolation and in peace. They never really liked the life at court and prefer to live in a more simple way. They don't like crowds, so the city is out of the question. And the countryside has shown to be good for their health, they aren't young anymore."

Lord Padraig nodded, distracted, and smelled his wine. He tried another sip and nearly gagged. He stared shocked at his glass, which contained one of his favourite vintages.

Sam clenched her jaw, trying not to laugh at the sight.

After coming over the first shock Lord Padraig noticed the girl staring at him. "You are allowed to visit your relatives next Sunday. You are dismissed."

Sam got up and bowed respectfully before leaving the room. She had to tell the triplets, Nat and Lee. Phase one had been successful.

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OK. I think I have some disclaimers to add. The name Unauwen isn't my idea. It's out of a book of Tonke Dragt, a Dutch author who has written some great books. I don't know if she's known in the USA or in GB, but she has written two great books, which take place during the days of knights, but not with authentic people and places, and regrettably without any magic in it.

**Silver Spell:**         I love cliffhangers. So many lovely reviews. ^_^

**Buri:**      Good so far?


	33. The old hag

Hey, I'm back again with a new chappie. Sorry it took so long but I had a hell of a time. It started, of course, the week before my birthday. How could it be different. Well, for more than four months ago I had an accident with my hand, nothing special … I thought, but it went on hurting for quite some time (by the way not very comfortable when you have to write tests). Well, after four months my doctor said that it is not normal that it hurts so long. To make it short, a tiny piece of my bone is now missing for the rest of my life, my hand still hurts from time to time (because the cartilage and the tendons are damaged, but at least that will heal … it only takes some more months. ) and I got a medical treatment consisting of injections which made me tired for days. To get this treatment I had to travel to another city, Munich (two hours by train). Because the surgery takes place only on Monday and Friday in the morning, I had to miss school (Really bad thing, don't you agree? ^_^ Well, I would have been more happy if I hadn't have to learn all the stuff, because of the damnable A-Level.), and I had to sleep over at a friend of my mother, who is a bit … strange, to be polite. I like her, most of the time, but every week … that's just too much.

Did I already mention the flu wave raging trough the population of my town? First my father, then me, then my mother, then my friend … right after I finally recovered from the injections. That sealed my week of holidays.

Then the tests began … every week at least one, sometimes two. Between, or at the same day, oral tests during the lessons, papers, reports … I NEED A NEW LIFE! 

I have a little special for you at the end of the chapter, a little compensation. AND I've improved the old chapters. So you see that I haven't been lazy all the time.

But today, I've slept 15 hours straight last night (with two brakes for the toilet, combined with stepping on my dog's chewing bone *OUCH*, which of course lies in front of my bed, exactly where my feet are touching the ground) and feel well enough to finish this chapter. Here you go.

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Chapter 33:                                           **The old hag**

**Hush … can you see it?**

**The day has left you behind. And the wind enwrapping you …**

**Hush … can you feel it?**

**Close your eyes …**

**Can you feel … the melody through the dark of night?**

**Sleep … you are not alone. You are watched. Dream on, little one.**

**The life, it's calling out to you. But you are still asleep … yet.**

**We are waiting for you. Your calling didn't stay unheard. You'll know when it's time … and we will be there.**

**Don't be afraid. The future won't go easy on you, we know, but we are there. And you will do what you are born to do. So don't be afraid, little one, everything will be fine.**

**The future will be an open book to you.**

**And he will come to you.**

**He will take you with him.**

**He will show you the way.**

**Soon, little one, soon …**

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Sam was staring at the raising sun, the soft and yet intense colours at that cold winter morning. It looked like one of those romantic pictures of landscape her mother had favoured so much. She still remembered that Lady Charis had liked everything which had to do with nature. That was one thing she had in common with her father and the rest of their people. The absolute love and devotion to nature. Lord Victor's youngest sister had been known for being outdoors nearly the whole day, if it was possible. And although she used to stay in the sun for hours her skin never became as dark as those of other people. It was of a faint golden shimmer, which Sam had inherited like most of her mother's appearances. With her honey blond hair, her amber eyes, the golden shimmer of her skin and her friendly, carefree nature, which seemed to make her glow from the inside, Charis was the light of her parents' and siblings' life. Not even the years at the convent had been able to change that. When she came back she might have behaved like a lady should do, but she had never been tamed completely. And so one thing led to another

On a visit home from convent, shortly after her 17th birthday Charis had stolen away from the castle of her family and had ran deep into the pine forest next to it. She never got lost in there … until that day. She didn't loose her way, no, but her heart. To the man she met there.

She had once told her daughter that his deep dark eyes had enchanted her from the moment on she had laid her eyes on him. He had been travelling through Tortall and he had never intended to visit the people living in Pinehollow. But as he had crossed the deep forests of the fief he had suddenly found himself confronted with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was like the sun. He himself was a man of the shadows, of the deep forests and the silence, a man of a friendly yet calm character. He seemed to be the complete opposite to her. Dark brown hair, moss green eyes and a tanned skin, tanned from wind and weather of being outside most of his life.

Sam never knew if it had been their differences that had drawn them towards each other or their similarities. She had been to young to be interested in such things, but one thing she remembered, although she hadn't understood in when been told it. They chose each other not only because of their love, but their freedom as well. Lord Allister had never tried to dominate Lady Charis, and neither did she. They had accepted each other like they were and didn't intend to change the other. Sam couldn't tell how they did it, but sure as hell, they did.

And so did it happen that Lady Charis of Pinehollow had never been introduced to the court and instead become the Lady of Oakswood in the foreign country called Unauwen.

And there she had met him, who should cause her and her family the greatest pain.

Sam still remembered they way her mother had sung for her, the way she had embraced her and stroked her hair, the way she smelt. Every time the memory came back to her, grief gripped her in such an intense way that she felt the urge to vomit. She trembled from the inside out and the only way to stop this weakness was to suppress everything which had to do with it.

Sam's eyes burned, screaming for tears that wouldn't come. Her mother had been the sun, her father the life and shadow, but she, Sam, was ice, cold from deep inside. But she knew, she felt that there was fire even deeper inside of her, waiting for the day to break free. Like magma deep inside the earth, and she feared the day she would loose the control she had built around her inner self for so long. She didn't know who she was. She knew her title, her birthright, but she didn't know what she would become. It was difficult. Galina had explained to her that she would find her way automatically, that she didn't need to fear taking the wrong path, that she would be shown it in time. But somehow Sam knew that she was different from those before her. Everyday she lived on in the royal palace of Tortall, she felt that she was drifting apart from the fixed way of her ancestors. There was a new way, a new possibility to live which she still couldn't catch or name. But she could feel that there would happen something nobody had ever thought could happen. Her people started to question the clan system, especially the role of the clerical clan, and she herself felt the same way. She knew something was in motion. In her lifetime it should be decided if her people would change their ways or not. And she couldn't fight the feeling any longer that she would play a major role in this decision. But how could somebody meant to be death soon change the ways of the living?

**Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny! Destiny!**

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"Oh great mother Goddess! This place is just … _awesome_!" Lee stared in awe at her surroundings, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight. She found herself at a loss of words.

Sam only smiled at the younger girl but couldn't contain astonished facial expression herself. As far as she knew the village had been founded about nine months ago, but had developed greatly. There were lots of new houses, each of them made of stone and wood, with two floors, balconies and flat roofs. But what made the sight so impressive was the immense amount of flowers and plants. There were many different climbing plants all over the buildings, shining brightly in their different autumn colours. In the gardens around the houses beautiful flowers competed for the girls' attention, next to bushes and trees full of fruits. Pets and wild animals were running free between the houses, giving the place an even more peaceful appearance. The birds were singing brightly, the bees were humming busy to gather all the nectar and the smell of forest, flowers, fruits and fresh baked apple pie filled the air. It was like diving into another reality, like one of those fairy tales. A world so perfectly peaceful like a dream that could never become reality.

"And in a place like that you grew up?" Lee had finally found her voice back.

Sam sighed and shook her head in denial. "No. I grew up in a castle, but if you can imagine an atmosphere like that transferred to a castle, than you know how I grew up until I was five. There were several small towns and villages around my home, so I could see how normal … I mean not noble people lived. I love the way my people live. It's so peaceful."  
Lee nodded. "Yeah. The village doesn't seem to be cut out of the forest by force, it seems to be a living, breathing part of it. But where are the people living here?"  
"Harvest I guess. The forest is full of fruits, nuts and mushrooms at the moment. Do you see the building in the middle which is built like a circle? With the tree in the middle? That's the centre of the village. There lives the head of this tribe. There we have to go."

Both girls urged their horses to trot towards the building in the middle of the village.

Lee grinned happily. "Great! Let's go. I wonder how these houses are looking in the insides. Thanks again for taking me with you. What a pity that Nat couldn't come with us."

Sam chuckled mischievously. "Yeah, the poor boy has to … assist his knightmaster. Lord Duncan has a meeting with several ladies and he wants to impress them with his, I quote, 'handsome and attentive squire'. Poor Nat has to serve drinks, sweets and be nice to some braindead bimbos, as he calls them, with too much time and no taste at all. He told me that he had to listen a two hours conversation about the right method of using a nailfile once, while Lord Duncan had a … conversation with the third lady in the room. He's always devastated after such an event. Lord Duncan calls it being sociable."

"What kind of conversation can a man possibly have with such a woman?"

"You talk about Lord Duncan. Well, as far as I know a 'conversation' for him is a synonym for making out."  
Lee blinked. "Pardon me? Making out with one lady while two others and a squire is in the same room?"

"He isn't very petty in that case. The worst is that lots and lots of ladies are throwing themselves at him because is rich, single and handsome. You should think they had at least a bit dignity. Well, maybe I'm too harsh with them, you could say that's their job. Getting married I mean. But even then … they should know that Lord Duncan is not an easy prey. I'm just happy that I don't have to do that. I won't ever be another number in a womaniser's collection. I've sworn this to myself."

Lee sighed. "I wonder who will finally make it."  
"Huh?"

"Lord Duncan. I wonder who will finally tame him."

Sam blinked and frowned deeply. "Sure, he needs a heir, someday, but tamed … well, maybe you are right with that. " She laughed shortly. "Maybe he will get a real dragon of a wife. There are enough matchmaking mother in this world, I'm sure that at least one of them will be successful to lure him into the yoke of marriage."

Both burst out in laughter.

"It's nice to meet two happy young girls at such an wonderful day. May I ask the reason for your presence? I think I know it, but do you?"

Both girls turned their head toward the voice on their right, Sam's hand already at the handle of her sword, just in case.

"Calm down girl. I don't intend to hurt you. You can leave your sword where it is, no need to get violent." The old woman chuckled amused. "I see, you have grown a lot, little Oakswood. Do you remember me?"

Sam frowned confused. She eyed the woman warily and asked: "Should I know you?"

Lee examined the woman as well. She reminded her of an old, gnarled tree, full of wrinkles. She was clothed in a wide cape, leaning on an strange looking stick, with a crystal on its knob. She looked somehow … ancient … not from this world, belonging to fairy-stories and legends. If she had magic, no matter what kind, she was what children all over the world imagined when they heard the world _hag_. But she seemed rather friendly, not threatening at all. Well, if that said something. But for Lee it seemed to irrational that something bad could exist in a village like this. Lee tried to scan the old woman for magic, but she couldn't really grasp it. It was confusing, not describable, but in its strangeness somehow related to Sam.

Sam dismounted her horse and walked towards the woman. When she stood in front of her, the woman brought her stick between the two of them, bringing the crystal in the height of Sam's eyes. Sam saw something like dark clouds moving under the surface. She shivered lightly.

"I see the past, I see the present, I see the future. I have the gift of the second sight, like your family, little Oakswood. And more. I can see that the course of time has been changed, by powers greater than ours. You will fight the battle of light and darkness once again. The time isn't how it should have been. You were destined to live in peace, and you were destined to change your world. But someone decided different."

The crystal started to glow colourfully, and Sam felt more and more drawn into the whirling sensations, loosing herself in the debts of the magical tool.

"Your task is still the same, only the circumstances have changed. You will find yourself on a turning point of time. Soon. And it will be _you_ and only _you_ who will decide the fate of your people. The fate of your people, and all the others. Will you be a slave like your ancestors, or will you brake free, living like you were meant to be?"

Lee watched Sam's body stiffen. Suddenly the horses began to move unruly, and Lee felt herself growing uncomfortable as well. _'This is the oldest magic I've ever seen.'_ She blinked at that thought. _'But … how do I know?'_ Suddenly she noticed the people surrounding them, watching the scene in front of them intently. Lee turned back to watch what happened, not knowing if she should interfere.

The old hag continued talking in riddles. "Yes, I see, she's the right one. I was right. She's his other half. We still have a chance. We only have to bring them together in time."

Suddenly Lee heard Sam scream out. "NO! Don't leave me!" She watched the older girl breaking down on her knees, pressing her hands in her palms as if in great pain, eyes squeezed shut tightly. "Don't leave me, don't, don't leave me." Sam chanted quietly, rocking herself back and fort, the old hag towering above watching her with pity and compassion.

"Yes, it will be her."

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OK, I made this chapter shorter as I originally thought. But it would take even longer and I thought you would prefer it this way. I hope you like it. But I have to say I didn't plan it this way. One of my problems with this chapter was that I was unsure how to create the first contact between Sam and her people in the village. And after a whole month of pondering and brooding over the plot and my possibilities I've finally gotten a new idea,

I really don't know how long it will take me to update the next chapter. I feel kinda burned out from school and so on. Hardly any creativity left. I promise I'll do my best, but school is more important at the moment, can't help it. My mom promised me that I could travel to London after passing my A-Level. Isn't it great? I'm so looking forward to it. I love travelling.

For anybody who is interested:

I told you about the ball our class had to arrange. Well, if you want to see pictures of it, go to www.asgball.info. As soon as you arrive, click on the **enter** to (surprise, surprise!) enter the site.

Then if you click at **B03** (left side the picture with the blonde comic figure) you can see my classmates and me in all our beauty. *cough* (beauty, riiiight.) But first you have to click on the first line under **Momentaufnahmen** [snapshots], left column, which says   **//bilder vor/ während/ nach dem Ball**  [pictures before/ during/ after the ball]

There are several pages with photos. Second page, first line, the last picture with the three blondes … guess who is me? (The one in the middle. ^_^) Don't blame me for the strange design (of the page, not me), I have some classmates who are responsible for it.

If anybody is wondering about the huge amount of alcohol, in Germany we are allowed to drink what we want at the age of 18, and beer at the age of 16. The ball was allowed to people who are 16 and older. But to be serious, nobody really cares if a 16 year old is drinking something harder than beer, and sometimes younger kid were able to sneak in, although we tried to avoid it.

**PAR** (Paris 2002) (under **Momentaufnahmen Fotos by Rausch**, **Fotos by Mike Green**) and **BER** (Berlin 2001) (again under **Momentaufnahmen -- Gallerie #1**) were school-trips our class has made over the past years, and the photos are of a lot of drunk people. Don't look at them! Believe me! If you don't want to see drunk people AFTER consuming alcohol ….. not very pleasant sight ….. not suitable for children ….. not even suitable for me ….. just don't look at it. I'm serious. (I'M NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE. I haven't been in Paris with our class, and I didn't join those people during the trip in Berlin. There are some normal people in our class. I was with them.)

We were in Berlin during the time of the Loveparade, maybe you've heard from it. You can see some pictures of it, but be prepared, some of my classmates are showing their naked backsides in between. I warned you.

There are a few pictures of Paris mixed with those of my drunken classmates. You wanna see? How strong is your stomack?

My school: www.asg-passau.de. One of my math teachers created this. Blame him. By the way, on the left side **Unsere Lehrer** [our teachers] The rest isn't very interesting I guess.

Wanna see the town I live in? www.passau.de

On the right side: click on Webcam am Rathausplatz (little picture under the Japanese flag) you can see the place before our town hall, LIVE, with other words: BORING. Hmm ….. back at the main page, click **Virtueller Rundgang durch Passau** (second on the blue list, counted from down). There you can chose English as the language. Not very long, but hey, they at least tried.

Hmmm, pictures of the spring flood 2002 are on www.passau.de/aktuelles/hochwasser/fotos

The flood in August, the one I once mentioned on www.hochwasser-passau.de [the first picture is from 1899, you have to click on **Seite1**, **Seite2** and so on, on the left side. Pictures during and before and after the flood. You can see a lot of Passau that way.]

Did I ever mention that we have a flood every spring and every autumn? Well, not THAT hight, but some houses are continually flooded. Well, with three rivers flowing through the town, what can you expect?

OK, if really anybody wants to know more about my city, I could be persuaded to write about its history and stuff like that, but if you are not interested in it, I won't bore anybody about it.

So if you have time and patience, I've tried to describe it as detailed as possible, concerning that hardly anybody of you speaks German. Anymore questions? Just ask, mail, and review.


	34. The lost princess

**Lady Gabrielle of Pirate's Swoop:**   I do really understand you. To be honest, if it were me one reading this I would have already killed the author. But if I reveal too much I'm afraid that there could not be much suspense anymore. For myself its difficult to say this, because I only can imagine what you get out of my hints. I can't help with the length, I never thought it would go so long. I've already seen fanfics with over 60 chapters, although they are rare. Hey, when I started this I thought I would be kicked out for my horrible story or my horrible way of writing or for not being able to write a proper English. And I never said something about this story being short. I thought it is better to make my story as good as possible and not to rush things only to finish it quickly.

OMG. I'm on the verge of a panic. Next week, NEXT WEEK the A-Level will take place. I'm doomed, I'm dead, I'm a bundle of nerves. Heaven help me. I try to write to get loose of some of my tension. So, what you read here is me when I'm a nervous wreck.

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Chapter 34:                                           **The lost princess**

Sam felt the pain hammering in her head, but at least her vision was clearing slowly. One of the first things she noticed was Lee, being hold back by  a few villagers. Sam felt anger building up within her. She slowly got up, straightening her back and stared at the people surrounding her.

"Let. Her. Go." Her voice was harsh and cold as ice. The men holding Lee stared at her in shock and quickly released their captive.

Lee stumbled towards her friend, concern shining in her eyes. "Are you OK?"

Sam gave her a sharp nod in reponse and shot a last death glare at the men. Then she turned towards the old woman, anger burning in stomach, waiting to be set free.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The old woman gave her a confident smile and started. "It was a simple test, your highness … "

"Don't you 'your highness' me! Damn, why is every time I meet some of my people a near to death experience. Why does everybody always expect something extraordinary from me? The Clerical Clan wants me to be some kind of magical instrument, the Worker Clan wants me to start a revolution, half of the Warrior Clan wants to see me dead, the other half wants me to kill those who want to kill me. I'm just waiting for the Scholar Clan to come out and demand its wishes. I've been nearly killed, kidnapped, magically overloaded on several occasions, and now I've had _enough_. If this goes on in this rate the Royal Clan will be eradicated by its on people. Now would you _please _tell me what's the meaning of all this, and don't tell me that it's just 'a simple test'. Adrian never mentioned something like that was going to happen. I _demand_ an explanation!"

The old woman chuckled, not at least impressed by the harsh words of the young girl. "Well, your highness, you are right. This test wasn't as simple for you as it was for me. Please forgive me if I've offended you, but we had to know on which side you were standing and if we could trust you. Master Adrian trusts you already, but we had to be sure."

Sam frowned angrily. "Sure about what? Did you really think I would form an alliance with the one who killed my family? Is this what you were thinking about me?"

The woman stared intently at her and answered carefully. "It is _not_ the Warrior I'm concerned about. Your relationship to him is more clearly for me to see than even for yourself. An alliance with him isn't as horrible as you might think. What I … what _we_ were wondering about was your relationship to the other clans, your highness. As you can see the times have changed, but not everybody seems to accept this. Your father was always very close to the Priestress, but even closer to the Warrior. But you, who are you close to?"

Sam eyes shone in confusion. "My father has been a king like all the others before him. His closeness to the Warrior and the Priestress was somehow … traditional. But I … who can I still be close to? The Warrior has turned out to be our worst enemy, the Priestress has her own plans for our people ... plans she doesn't tell me about." She shook her head and continued quietly. "There are only two clans left. I think I could trust Adrian. I haven't met the Scholar yet, so I can't say how my relationship to him or her will be. But I don't feel prepared for a confrontation of any kind yet."

The old woman nodded. "Yes, you are right. You are not ready yet. But the confrontations will take place. One by one. And it depends on you and your boundaries to your world how the conflicts will settle down. You have the second sight, little Oakswood, like all of your kind. It'll help you, from time to time. But in the end … it's only you and him. This is where it all ends. Only you and him."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**It was dark all around her. She didn't know where she was.**

**She turned around … and found herself face to face with a woman.**

**A woman with long golden hair, and deep moss green eyes.**

**_'It's … me?'_**

**Suddenly the eyes turned black, starting to glow darkly.**

**Sam gasped, jerking back. **

**In the woman's hands there were two swords, black like the darkness itself.**

**Then suddenly the woman spoke, with a dark harsh voice that was not her own.**

**° You may have escaped me once, but you won't escape me twice. I will find you, know matter how hard she tries to hide you. You. Are. MINE! °**

Sam woke up with a start. She panted heavily, not knowing if she should be terrified about the dream, or happy that her powers seemed to come back.

OK, terrified was it.

_'What is the meaning of this? I … I changed. But … I'm under the protection of the oak. The Cursed Swords can't harm me, can they? And that voice … '_

She embraced her knees, shaking with fear. _'Will it be me who will destroy my people? Am I the bad guy in this war? Is the way I'm taking the wrong, the dark one? Oh, damn it. I'm only a child. Why do I have to carry this immense burden? If I risk my life and die, it's wrong. If I don't risk my life, it's wrong as well. Galina is still sending me these damnable letters, telling me what to do, how to act, what to think and what to decide. I could make my life easy, just following her advice. She's a chosen one after all. But … I doesn't feel right. The queen is just as strong as her keeper. So this it the final question. How strong am I?'_

She shook her head unhappily. _'And in the end, it's only me and him.'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lord Padraig woke up quite angrily. He wasn't very content with his current situation. That strange distaste for alcohol, not matter what kind was really not good for his temper. He wasn't an alcoholic, but he liked a glass or two every once awhile. But now he felt like gagging from even looking at the stuff.

He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. His vision was still blurred, strangely everything seemed to be pink. He jawed again and stretched. Then he opened his eyes again. And froze deep in shock.

_'Am I drunk?'_ He frowned at that thought. _'Hardly. But … pink. Pink!'_ He shook his head and wondered if he started to hallucinating. Then a thought hit him. _'Crystal Lake. These damnable little brats. If they think they can get away with it …'_

Suddenly the door was open and a maid entered the room. "Sir, your wife wanted to let you know that she will be visiting her aunt today." The maid waited for a reponse and was slightly taken aback when she didn't get one. "Uhmm, sir? Don't you feel well? You seem kinda pale."

Lord Padraig stared at her like she had grown a second head or something. _'Doesn't she see? She's always cleaning up this room, she should know that it isn't used to be pink.' _"Uhmm, Ada, do you see something … strange in this room?"

The maid frowned. "No, sir. Nothing out of order." _'Except for you.'_

The lord seemed to pale even more. "You can go now."

The maid nodded confused and left the room, wondering what was wrong with her master.

Lord Padraig closed his eyes and rubbed them tiredly. After some minutes he opened them again. The room was normal again. All the pink … was gone. _'I'm really loosing it now.'_

The training-master's day went on as strange as it has started. From time to time something within his view turned pink without anybody except of him noticing it. He held himself up until the evening, after dinner. When he was about to retire in his quarters a mouse crossed his way. A _pink_ mouse. He closed his eyes and stared to count from ten downwards, trying to calm himself down. _'I simply don't see this. If I don't see it, it isn't there. Right?'_

He never saw the figures in the shadows watching him.

"I feel sorry for the old guy." Ria stated.

Her siblings nodded.

"We will stop this. Tomorrow we will give the antidote for the powder in his food. We can't spoil Midwinter for the poor man." Sam kneeled on the floor and picked the 'pink' Ti up, putting the little mouse on her shoulder. She turned around to face her accomplices.

Aaron scratched his head. "Yeah. It was fun as long as it lasted. But with phase two we didn't even get the right public attendance. I would have loved to see his face."

The three siblings snickered at that thought and sighed.

Sam smiled weakly. "That's true. Well, sorry guys but I have some chores to do. See ya!" And with that she was gone.

The triplets looked after her, frowning deeply.  
Danny was the first to speak it out loud. "She's acting strange lately. Or should I say again. Seems like her good times are over for now, going back to her old brooding self. What happened to her?"  
Ria felt some sort of sting in her heart. She felt like knowing something, without knowing it. She shrugged it away and turned to her siblings. "Well, how do we get the antidote into his food unnoticed?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sam was training like mad. It was over a month ago since the incident at the village. The only things she did all day was training and learning, until her body and brain screamed for mercy. She only retired to fall into a deep, hopefully dreamless sleep. She tried to avoid all unpleasant thoughts, all frightening dreams. Trying was the word. The success wasn't how she would have liked it.

She had been so happy about meeting her people again, about finding a place like those she spent her early childhood in. She had loved the peaceful atmosphere of villages like that. It was like a memory coming back to life. Like she was finally able to find a place where she could feel save and protected, like before her family died. But the dream had been shattered immediately. Here she was again, having more questions than answers. Everything had been turned upside down again, leaving her struggling to find out what to do. She was alone again, unable to talk to anybody, unable to explain herself. How was she supposed to explain something she didn't understand herself.

Even the little trick with Lord Padraig couldn't lighten her mood. Here was she, playing childish tricks to a man that was supposed to teach her how to survive, while at the same time her people where dying. She was helpless against destiny. She felt like being tied down, struggling like crazy to get free, only to be chained down even more with each day passing. No one to save her, no one to protect her, everything expecting her to be the solution to all problems and dangers, no matter what sacrifice it would request from herself. Nobody cared. Nobody wanted to know. And those who might have wanted to help were silenced and suppressed by the oak. Sam felt bad for the people around her to be manipulated because of her.

Midwinter would be there soon. Then Nat would return. He had left with his master shortly after Sam's visit at the village. Maybe he would be able … maybe there was still hope for her. Maybe he would be able to stop the darkness that seemed to consume her more, day by day.

Maybe Nathan of Malven would be able to stop her from going to a place she couldn't return from.

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Well, that's it for today. Hope you like it. ^^

You might wonder why a pink mouse has startled Lord Padraig more than everything else. Well, in Germany there is a saying that if you start to see pink mice you are turning completely crazy/ insane, whatever. Or was it white ones? Umpf, I don't really remember. I don't know if this exists in other countries as well, so if not, now you know it.

For all who are interested: I have a mailing list and due to the fact that my updates are rare at the moment you might want to be informed as soon as a new chapter is up. So if you want me to e-mail you just give me you E-Mail address in a Review or an E-mail.

Oh, please review me a lot. I really need support at the moment. I really can't believe it. I'm 21 years now, about to (hopefully) pass my A-level, the one thing I fought to achieve since I got into school. Do you know that my former French teacher at my old school once said that I have no sense for languages at all? I mean, no matter what happened to me in my life until now (which was quite a lot), it hasn't been so worse that I didn't get through it, although I thought it was unbearable at that time. I guess this is one of my last big fears I have to face right now. (To understand this you have to know that there were some things and events I was unbelievably afraid of. But I got control over most of my fears, and I managed to survive all the events without much humiliation. But this is the last for now. Or at least I hope that.) Where has all the time gone to? I think I will need some time to find myself and to find out who I've really become over all those years. I wonder if I'll like what I see. OK, that's enough. I think I drink a little bit beer (my teacher said it would calm me down and make me sleepy. I hope it. But it tastes like crap.) and try to sleep that melancholy off. Damn, I have moodswings like being pregnant. (I wonder how bad my temper will be when I'm really pregnant one day. *frowns* Hopefully the father will survive this. *shrugs*)


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